Fuzzy Images
by BluePixeledRedFox
Summary: Kerri was just a normal teenager until she one day develops an interesting problem. She gains mutant powers; her appearance starts changing randomly with her emotions. Now mutant hysteria has hit her town. Xavier finds her before something unthinkable can happen, but it took him a year to find her and she isn't used to socializing with humans anymore. Then she meets Kurt.AU Kurt/OC
1. The new student

**[AN: Just so anyone who reads knows, this is pretty much Alternate Universe, actually closer to how I thought it should have been if Kurt and Kitty were students at the mansion, and it sort evolved with the story. I'm sorry it's so short, that just seemed to be the place to cut it, and if it's a bit choppy, that's just because everything happens so quickly while they get Kerri squared away. I tried to set it up well, but if you have questions, feel free to ask them, I'm always happy to explain something. Here's the first chapter, I hope you enjoy!  
**

**Also; I do not own any of the X Men or franchises, only the plot line and character Kerri. I also made the cover art. Using colored pencils, copy paper, and a scanner. Anyway, refer back to above.]**

* * *

At Charles Xavier's school for gifted youngsters/ institute for higher learning, all of the staff except Ororo sat in the office, awaiting the reason they'd been called.

Professor Xavier explained to them; "Storm is bringing back a new mutant. As far as we can tell she's got some sort of empathic psi abilities. She can use empathic psi waves to trick your mind into believing you see something, and the illusion becomes solid. She may also have a small ability of mind reading. She was hiding as a cat, living in an ally. We found her when she turned into what was described as "a large sci-fi type monster", after two boys were attacking her "helpless cat" form. Does anyone have any questions?"

Scott was the first to ask; "How old is she? And are there any repercussions of the mutation that we should be aware of?"

Professor Xavier nodded his head in approval of his question. "She has taken a completely human looking form, though I don't think that's her true form. I'm fairly certain that she's hit puberty, as she has developed her powers, but I'm unsure of her real age. She hasn't been very talkative yet."

Logan scoffed, "Why don't we just put her in interrogation for a bit."

"Because we're the good guys, remember, Logan?" Scott told him with an edge in his voice. "Tight ass." Logan gruffed.

"Guys," Jean cut into the fight that was going to start up. Again. "We're all on the same side."

"And remember, Logan, you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar." Dr. McCoy chuckled from the corner.

Logan grunted in reply, "Whatever you say, bub."

"Is everyone ready to meet her?" Professor Xavier asked as everyone settled.

"Oui, let's meet the cherie." Remy said from the wall he was leaning against.

"Remy, remember that student-teacher relations are not allowed-"

Scott was cut off from speech by Remy; "It's just an endearment, mon ami."

"Tight ass." Logan gruffed again re situating himself in the chair he was sitting in.

"Bring her in, Ororo." The professor said in the final silence.

Ororo stepped through the door as it all stared expectantly.

Finally Ororo pushed a small body from behind her legs.

"That's her? She's the one who won't talk? Just take away her teddy bear." Logan burst out, looking the girl up and down. She only appeared six or seven with long, dark strawberry-blond hair hanging all around her face, which was completely neutral, wearing baggy clothes.

"I don't have a teddy bear." her voice came out like icy metal.

"This is Kerri. That's all she'd give me on the way here. She's very guarded, Charles." Ororo finished quietly to only him.

"It's ok Ororo. She'll find a way to fit in. We all do." He comforted.

"How old are you?" Scott asked leaning down a little, trying to "get on her level".

"How old do I look." she cast out, annoyed inside.

"It's ok, little girl, we're the good guys." He tried again.

"I'm not a little girl." Her voice was again like a winter in a steel mill.

"I like this girl." Logan laughed at the look on Scott's face at the "little girl's" answer.

* * *

Kerri was in the danger room with Jean and the Professor.

"Don't worry, we just want to see how your powers are, and what you're capable of." He told Kerri reassuringly and nodded to Jean.

Kerri felt something like a sudden migraine throb. She looked at Xavier, "Stay out of my head."

Jean made a confused noise and Kerri looked at her. "It's you." she caught on, "So tell me, what is your biggest fear?" Jean looked at her worriedly, distractedly. Her eyes caught on Kerri's, trapped in the blue-green pools of the seemingly seven year old.

A phantom wind started blowing, Kerri's hair flowed out behind her growing fire red. She grew taller seeming to always have been that tall some how, she began floating a foot above the ground with a fiery aura billowing behind her.

Jean was horrified, "No, no you can't be here! Phoenix, no!" She fell to her knees.

"I'm so glad you believe." came the voice from the figure Jean was staring at. It was wrong though.

Professor Xavier watched in awe as Jean regained her senses. "It's not you. You're still Kerri, how did you get in my head?!"

The transformation was far less smooth this time, sudden really. So sudden that Kerri fell to the ground from the foot above it she had been floating. "Ow." she said as she got up.

"How did you get in my head?!" Jean yelled again.

"I didn't get in your head stupid, you tried to get in mine. Stay out." Kerri told her with a voice that had more menace than a seven year old's should.

"I don't think she knows she did, Jean."

"How can she though? I've trained so hard."

Professor Xavier tried to console Jean as Kerri rubbed her leg and arm and muttered in the background; "Don't worry about me... I'm fine."

Up in the viewing booth Logan again said, "I like this girl."

Scott just stared at her. He'd seen Mimic turn into other people before, but he'd have to see them. Phoenix had been gone for a long time. How did she do it?

* * *

Back in professor Xavier's office Kerri sat in a chair facing his desk.

"So Kerri, let's get you enrolled in school. What is the last year you attended?"

"The last grade I went to was 10th. Last year." She said.

Xavier took a second to answer, "But I thought you were living in the ally for a year?"

"I was. I still went to school. Didn't go at the start of this year due to the things that happened last year. Missed the last month or so last year too."

"Your mutation manifesting?" Xavier confirmed. Kerri nodded.

"What happened?" He asked.

"Mumph," was her reply.

"I only want to know so I can help you gain control over it. You can look into my mind to be sure if you wish." He offered.

"I can't do that, why do you keep saying that I am?" She exasperated.

"Maybe you don't realize you're doing it. You asked Jean what her biggest fear is, then turned into it. How could you tell?" He pushed her to the solution.

"I didn't. That's just something I say to freak them out. Really I just get an idea of what I want to look like to scare them, then I, kinda..." She paused thinking of the right words, "internally pressurize and push to make myself feel like I look like that. Then I do."

"I see. So you're in 11th grade?" He redirected to the earlier subject, thinking that she both knew a great deal and very little about how her power worked.

She nodded, and he just looked at her, waiting. "Oh, the body," she guessed, "I turned seventeen this summer." He looked at her. She told him her birthday so fluidly he knew it was true.

"Ok, so 11th grade it is. We'll have to have you take some placement tests so we can put you in the appropriate classes." Kerri nodded. "Since it's Saturday today, and tomorrow's Sunday, would you like to do the tests today, or tomorrow? I know it's getting kind of late." Xavier tried to give her some control to make her more at ease.

"Can I do them in the library?"

"Library?" The Professor smiled after a second as he noticed the sly information gathering, "Yes the library is a fine place here. Do you like to read?"

"You could say that I'm versed in the moderns as well as the classics, although I mostly read fantasy, and I know how to wander my way around a lexicon, and I do use a few of them."

Xavier nodded at the sudden influx of knowledge about her, even though it was nothing personal. "And do you feel like disclosing your last name now? Or your real appearance?"

"No. I'll take the tests today. You can call me whatever. Smith. Or Smithy if you like." Kerri smiled, at the seemingly inside joke.

* * *

They walked to the library and the Professor got her set up.

He was pleased that when she saw Dr McCoy she looked at him curiously only after he started talking instead of before.

He was watching from a distance as she took the tests. It had been a few hours and she had gone through them at a steady pace and still had about fifteen minuites left when she closed the last book and laid her head on the table looking bored.

_'Hank, why don't you try to engage her, she likes reading.'_ Xavier thought to him.

Dr. McCoy walked up to Kerri, "Are you done?" Kerri nodded. "Are you sure you don't want to double check them?"

"I already double checked all of them." She turned her head to look at him. "Standardized tests are boring. The last one was more interesting though."

Dr McCoy chuckled. "You want to go find a good book to read? Tell me what kind you like?" He said after she nodded.

"Horror."

"Mmm, Ann Rice or Steven King?"

"They're both good hit or miss, but I prefer the movies." Kerri told him, still laying her head on the table.

"Ah, well why don't you come with me then, and we'll find you a good horror book to become engrossed in." Kerri got up and followed him down the isles.

Professor Xavier reviewed Kerri's tests and found that she had an above college reading level, and that she was at a level about a year and a half ahead of her grade. He'd let her be in the 11th grade if she wanted to be, if that's where she was comfortable. It was almost the second trimester anyway.


	2. Show me yours, I'll show you mine

**[AN: Since I'm posting this the same night as the first one, there's nothing to add or explain. Here's chapter two enjoy!]**

* * *

It was the end of November. It had been almost a month since Kerri had come to the mansion, and she still had no friends. In fact, some of the kids picked on her. Thinking she was a genius seven year old, or something, so make fun they did. She was sure it didn't help that she didn't talk to anyone and mostly sat through class reading books, answering correctly when called on, and skewing the bell curve in general.

Kerri was sitting outside this day, reading, as usual, when a group of students surrounded her, teasing, laughing. She ignored them, used to HE walked past.

Kerri looked over at him, Kurt Wagner. She'd seen him around. He was nice looking, not "hot" or anything, but nice. There was something... wrong... with him, though. Something that didn't quite fit, within or without, she wasn't sure, but wrong it was.

She'd been trying to figure it out for a while now.

Kurt was walking by with Kitty and Piotr when Kitty pointed out the new girl, Kerri? "Isn't that awful? Don't you remember that, Kurt?"

He looked over at the scene, as Professor Remy would call it in the drama class; She was a little six or seven year old, with baggy clothes that looked like they were barely hanging on even with a belt. Her sandy strawberry-blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail and almost reached the ground.

She was also looking at him fish-eyed with one blue-green eye. She noticed him looking at her and quickly looked back to her book.

"I'd hate to be the new kid again." Kitty was saying.

"She's kinda vierd, she stares at me ven I go past." Kurt told them.

"More than just her stare at you Kurt." They'd stopped walking and were standing there.

"But not ven I have my hologram on. And she just sits zhere and takes all zhe teasing." As they talked the kids teasing Kerri had taken the book she was reading and were playing keep away with it.

"Well look at her, Kurt, she's only a little girl, maybe she's waiting for her big handsome prince to come and save her. What did you do when they teased you?"

Kurt looked over, "Notzhing, but I can stop zhis." He started over to the "scene".

Kerri quickly looked back at her book only to have the five ten to thirteen year olds teasing her to become bored with her non responsiveness at their teasing, and grab the book she was reading. She was horrified when they started throwing it through the air. Just as she was getting fed up and about to ask them what their biggest fear was, someone came up and took the book from them.

"Zhat's enough, you all vere new at some point." Kurt. Kurt Wagner. The boy with something wrong. Something she couldn't see.

The kids wandered off and he handed her the book. "Here you go little girl, here's your book back." He tried to smile warmly even if he felt a little creeped out by her.

"I'm not a little girl." she said taking the book.

"Ja, ok." Kurt said and turned back to find Kitty and Piotr, but found that they had gone on with out him. Probably to make out. It was a quiet area over here, after all, and he could see almost noone else around.

"So..." She looked at him, unsure how to ask a mutant what was wrong with him without offending.

Kurt turned back around, "My name is Kurt." he said trying to smile warmly again and figure out a way to leave without being rude.

"Kerri." She told him. She reached her hand forward and he shook it.

Her eyebrows raised and he knew he had a problem, had to leave.

He tried to go but she grabbed for him. He grabbed her arm to keep her from grabbing his tail where it was around his waist.

Kerri stared at his hand. She saw five fingers around her arm, keeping her from taking hold of anything, but she FELT only three pressures on her arm. And they didn't match what she was looking at.

She looked at her other hand and made the Vulcan sign from Star Trek. She looked back to her arm as she grabbed hold of it. It felt the same.

She looked from her hand to his, then up at him. "I see."

Kurt was a little more freaked out now, she had made the shape of his hand and told him "she saw", but saw what?

He pulled her a little closer to the building where they'd have even less chance of being seen.

"That's why you look funny. What do you have on?" Kurt thought it was funny that she'd say he looked funny with his hologram ON, but, then, she didn't know what he looked like without it.

"What do you have on?" she asked again.

"It's a hologram. Vhy do you Vant to know?"

"I could tell that something was up with you. What do you look like under it?" Curiosity was rising in her, and maybe he looked hideous under the hologram, but she'd seen some pretty hideous things, heck even BEEN some pretty hideous things. She could probably handle this.

"I don't vant to scare you, little girl." Kurt tried to let go and walk away, but she grabbed his arm and was surprisingly strong.

"I'm not a little girl. Why don't you show people your true form?"

"If you're not a little girl, zhen vhy don't you show people your true form?" He shot back, she was kinda disturbing. Too calm, she didn't sound like a little kid should in his mind. Too small for her attitude. Or personality. Or something.

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours." she told him with a small smirk and a blink.

"Vhat? Zhat sounds dirty! I don't vant to see you, even if you say you're not a little girl, you look like one! How vould zhat look to people going past?!"

"Then I'll just try to look through your hologram, at the only area level to me... How's that going to look to passersby?" She stared pointedly.

Kurt stared at her. She was crazy, that was it. She was a crazy, creepy little girl, who was trying to black mail him into showing her what he really looked like. And he was going to have to show her. He didn't want everyone walking by to think he was a pervert or anything, and even though there weren't a lot of people around, if this little girl stuck her face in his crotch to try and see through his hologram, he was pretty sure those guys over there wouldn't stop to ask questions before they came to pound him into the ground.

"Ok." He said defeated. He took a breath then closed his eyes, waiting for the screaming to start when he turned off his piece of tech.

There was a flash, then a kind of fuzzle, then there he stood; tall due to her perspective, blue, a little furry if you looked close, he had two toes on his feet, two fingers and a thumb on the hand she was holding, longish hair somewhere between indigo and black, pointed ears, and a tail. A cute tail. Kerri felt her cheeks go warm. She almost gasped out loud. But then she'd have to kill herself for being so cliched. And super lame.

She couldn't stop staring at him, and she thought it'd been bad before. Yellow eyes she added to the list as he opened them to look at her. She could see a sort of pupil in the middle, that's how she knew he was looking at her. "Fangs" were added to the list as well, as he spoke.

"You- you're not scared?" his voice was hesitant even to his own ears, but Kurt was surprised. This little girl was looking right at him, her face looked a little flushed but she wasn't yelling. She was very strange, he reminded himself.

"No." It took Kerri a moment to recover. "Well, you showed me yours... I guess I'll show you mine..." She took a breath. She was going to show her real self to him. Of course she had planned to show him some other imaginary body, but with her cheeks burning and her heart unknowingly going into "crush zone" it felt like the right thing to do. The only thing to do. She undid her belt, hoping the extra baggy pants and shirt she wore would still fit her after.

Kurt's eyes widened as she unbuckled her belt, and he almost got a no out before his knees gave out.

She had grabbed him around the middle, sitting in his lap. She pressed herself tight against him and he had another second of panic to go before he felt something.

More pressure. Against his chest. And his lap. Kurt felt her form growing out, her head was against his shoulder, her legs were on the ground, her hair, still a sandy strawberry-blond was still so long it touched the ground. She was sitting in his lap, her breasts were pressed into his side/chest, and his hand which had come up to hold her at some point of this was on her side, feeling her bare skin.

That thought struck him again, as it had apparently not done the job the first time. BARE SKIN.

He jumped back, and saw the same large blue-green eyes staring at him through the frames of black lashes, although they seemed to fit better in this face, with enough age for the intelligence, her lips were darker against her pale face, and her hair fell down to frame it all just right.

He was speechless. Had no idea what to say, if he could find his voice to say it anyway.

She was sitting on his lap, looking right at him. Her face flushed again. "Told you I'm not a little girl."

It took her a second to continue, but she stood and Kurt could see that the baggy pants had become shorts, skin tight, and she'd had to unbutton them to give herself a little more room, the shirt had ridden up on her frame as it had grown, and now it was trying to bust across her chest, and only went down to her ribs, severe crop top style, the socks she pulled off and the shoes she'd kicked off long ago.

"There, now you've seen me, and I've seen you." Kerri took a few steps back, "you should keep that thing off. Way cuter." With that she turned and walked off quickly, blushing, 'Why?' she thought, 'I had to say that?'

Kurt looked up from his position on the ground, watched her almost jog off, those guys far away watching her as she ran past, and called out dazed, "Ja, Sie auch."

* * *

Kerri went past the library as she tried to find Ororo.

She'd stay as herself for a while, at least, let Kurt have the chance to get to know her, after she had gone through all this trouble.

But it was almost December, and she was not going to get by on tiny clothes for long, she was almost freezing as it was just walking to Ororo's office.

Hank looked out the doorway and recognized the clothes, if not the body, that walked past, "Finally." He said. Someone else had gotten through. She was a stick stuck in a popsicle, and it was going to take more than just him blowing on her to get her to melt free, that was for sure. He chuckled at his metaphor and went to tell his buddy Charles the good news.

"There you go, Kerri." Ororo said as she handed some clothes to the now appropriately bodied girl. "So, why the change? See someone you'd like to impress?"

Kerri stared at her wide eyed. "Can I change in here?" Happy that there happened to be a bra that fit here.

"Of course." Ororo turned and made sure the door was completely closed. "Maybe you should eat lunch in the lunchroom. There's more of a chance that you'd run into that person again."

"What makes you think there's someone, and not that I'd just like to turn some heads for once?"

Ororo turned to look at her and saw her in a t-shirt with a snappy saying, pair of jeans she had rolled up to her knee, and pulling on one of the boots that went up to meet the end of the rolled up jeans. "I find it hard to believe that you've never turned heads before." She told the girl.

"Nah, the town that I grew up in, you went to school with the same people all the way through, new people coming in from the other middle schools and stuff. Pretty stable population, I guess. I did turn heads last year, but that's just because my appearance kept spazing and I grew a tail every other day. And it wasn't good attention."

Ororo wondered if she was telling falsehoods, but it had a ring of truth. "So you feel normal here?"

"Professor, I don't think anyone feels normal here." Kerri put one foot on the desk and tested the stretchiness of the jeans.

Ororo changed the subject, "Why don't you talk to people more? You might find a friend."

"I haven't found anyone with anything interesting to say."

"You should give them a chance."

"Do you have something like gymnastic equipment at this school?" Kerri asked, effectively avoiding the speech that she thought was coming.

"Yes, it's in the gym, but you can't go in there unsupervised. I can introduce you to Logan though, he's usually lifting weights in there."

* * *

As they walked into the gym Logan looked up, smoke in his mouth, heavy weight in his hand, and bottle on the floor.

"Logan, Kerri's interested in using the gymnastic equipment." Ororo told him, ignoring the supposedly banned items.

"Sounds fine." He went back to lifting weights.

With the parting words and a jabbing glance at Logan; "You'll be ok, as long as you follow the rules he chooses to enforce." Ororo left her there alone with the large hairy man.

Kerri looked around at all the different things to use. "You know how to use any of them?" Logan's gruff voice pierced the air somehow more potently than a normal voice would.

"A little. I didn't get far, but I did get some basics."

"Just don't make me have to come save your ass from any of the equipment." He continued not to look at her as he lifted the weights again.

She couldn't help herself from smiling and laughing almost out loud while she went to investigate. Defiantly needed to start with stretching, since she hadn't even been able to do that in a while.

Logan watched the girl sit down and start stretching out. Points for at least doing that, he'd had to pick so many students up after they strained themselves from not stretching.

Kerri did a couple somersaults and cartwheels then moved to getting on the balance beam. At first she just got on and off, but then she started jumping onto one foot then jumping back off in the same motion. By the end of two hours she was jumping on and off.

"Hey, quit fucking around over there." Logan suddenly called, but it didn't send her slipping or reeling off like he thought it might. Good concentration. Another point.

"I'm not fucking around." came her reply as she sat on the beam and hung up side down.

"Hey, kids aren't allowed to talk like that around here." He scolded.

"I was only quoting." Logan had to add a point for spunk. He did like her. She was a rebel, like him, but he couldn't tell what she was rebelling against.

The rest of the time until dinner went by in silence. When it was time he turned his head toward her, "Time to eat, kid."

"Ok." Kerri walked past him and he locked the door.

"Gym opens up again after classes tomorrow." She nodded and walked to the cafeteria.

* * *

** Edit- Sophie had a thought about what Hank is saying about Kerri being a popsicle stick not being appropriate for a teacher to say about a student. First, let me explain; EEEP! I didn't mean to insinuate anything there... lol. He meant that she was very closed off and that he was going to need help to get her to open up, since she really only talks to him. Him blowing on her is just him trying to be her friend and "melt her frozen exterior" so she'll open up, and he's glad that she's talking to someone else.  
**


	3. Um, I gotta go

**[AN: Nothing to report here, I hope you enjoy the chapter!]**

* * *

Kurt was sitting in the usual spot with Kitty and Piotr when he saw Kerri, the real Kerri now, and not the creepy little kid.

"Zhat's her. Going to sit by zhe window." Kitty and Piotr looked over.

"She's cute!" Kitty said looking back at Kurt. She noticed that he was looking at the new girl, a little too intently.

"I thought you said she was creepy." she said teasingly.

"She vas!" Kurt said defensively.

"Not so much now?"

"Vell, not creepy now."

Kitty smiled and poked him in the side, "Oh, first crush, Kurt?"

"Vat?! No!" Kurt's hologram reflected the blush that spread across his face.

* * *

The next day Kerri ate lunch in the lunch room, looking out the window, wondering what Professor Summers was going to say to her next period when he saw her for the first time.

It seemed that he had been giving her a hard time on purpose. Maybe because of that first encounter, but maybe because of the way she seemingly refused to pay attention in his math class.

She wasn't trying to be difficult, she just knew the material already and ended up not doing homework or drawing all over it before handing it in half finished, but then getting 100 on tests. She didn't know if he understood that she was bored because she understood it all already, but it was ok, it gave her time to read her normal about a novel a day.

Kurt was watching Kerri stare out the window lost in thought when Kitty almost poked her finger in his nose. "Ah! Was ist lost mit dir?!" he cried out having not noticed that she'd slowly been moving her finger closer for about five minuites now. {What is wrong with you}

Kitty just laughed at him and Piotr ate his lunch. Kurt rubbed his nose and was back in the conversation.

"So should we go to the mall again this Saturday?"

Kurt decided that he'd rather stay here than wander around looking at clothes. "Neine, I'm going to vork out in zhe gym zhis veekend."

"Oooo, for someone we know?" Kitty teased, "or to get yelled at by Logan?"

"Neizher, I'm just going to vork out." Kurt said and suddenly turned his head back to the table from looking at Kerri again as she looked toward him.

"I'm suprised she hasn't caught you yet. What did you say she did to you in the grass again?" Kitty continued to tease.

"I don't know vhat you're talking about." Kurt refused to answer.

"Wasn't it that she'd sat in your lap and threatened to stick her face in your, uh..." Kitty trailed off elbowing him.

"I'm going to class now." Kurt said standing up and bright red.

"Ok see you later." Kitty called in a sing song voice.

Kerri watched Kurt leave and pondered. She could still see that something was wrong with how he looked, a blurry out line or something.

But she remembered the way he'd looked when he'd taken the hologram down, her heart started to beat faster and she involuntarily blushed, just as she had when she'd seen him yesterday... but when she'd looked at him in person just a second ago, nothing.

Wierd. Was it the hologram?

* * *

In math after lunch Kerri sat, drawing all over her homework page.

"Ah-HM" Kerri looked up to see Professor Summers looking down at her with crossed arms. "So, Kerri, I presume this is the real you."

"Yes." she looked up at him blank faced.

"I'm disappointed that your attitude toward doing homework hasn't changed as well."

She continued to stare at him blank faced.

"You should be doing homework, not drawing. Please try to remember this in the future."

Kerri just looked at him until he walked away, looking agitated. 'Too bad I don't have a mp3 or ipod to drown out the dull.'

After classes that day she hid out in the library and went to the gym, as was going to more or less become her routine.

* * *

"Seriously, Kurt, she's going to get a hole in her head if you keep staring at her like that." Kitty told him after she had gotten his attention by once again almost poking him in the eye so slowly it had taken about five minutes to get her finger that close.

"I don't know vat you're talking about. I'm just eating lunch."

"Kurt, you've been sitting there, biting your fork for the last fifteen minutes."

"I have?" Kurt looked at his fork. Definatly chew marks in it.

Kitty took pity on her friend, "Kurt, you've been staring at her for, like, two weeks. Why don't you just ask her to come over here."

"No, she, uh, still looks shy..." Kurt defended.

"Are you sure you're not the one who's shy?"

"Why don't you go sit by her, then." Piotr put in one of his too logical and right to argue with points.

"Uh, vell, I guess I didn't zhink of zhat." Kurt admitted and looked down at his food trying and failing to hide the blush that came at the thought of sitting by her. Why should HE be able to sit by HER? He'd noticed a couple of other guys looking at her, better looking than him. Normal looking.

Piotr warned, "If you don't take the chance first, someone else will." and went back to quietly eating his lunch.

"Pfff..." Kurt tried to make an uncaring as if noise, but was nervous at this thought. Someone else could take that seat, and be there before him. He was just too nervous to go sit down. Ridiculous.

"Ow!" Kitty cried as Kurt inadvertently hit her with his thrashing tail, "Calm down Kurt, just go over there!"

"I'm sorry Kitty, I didn't mean to hit you," He apologized remorsefully.

"I know Kurt, just go over there and sit down so you're tail can stop being a deadly weapon at my leg!"

"I, I don't know..."

"This is ridiculous, Piotr, will you go sit by her and show him how easy it is, please?" Piotr got up with his lunch tray and walked over to Kerri.

"Watch this, Kurt." Kitty leaned to him and half whispered.

Kerri was aware someone was walking right at her. A large someone at that. She tried to avoid looking or staring.

"Is this seat taken?" came the voice.

She looked up at him, "No..."

"Can I sit here?"

"Ok..."

He sat down. Kerri had no idea what his name was, but he didn't try to have a conversation, just finished his lunch.

Kurt sat, enviously watching Piotr eat across from Kerri. She was staring at him, seeming to be half confused, half curious, but she was looking at him none the less, and Kurt found himself jealous.

He hadn't found her looking at him in at least a week.

Piotr stood as he finished and said good bye, walking away, with Kerri watching him walk away. She shrugged and turned back to her food after he left.

"See how easy that is?" Kitty nudged him, "you could do that."

But the plan backfired, Kurt found out the next day.

As he stopped by the usual table and tried to will himself to go on, giving himself a mental pep talk and Kitty tried to encourage him quietly, another boy walked past, straight to Kerri's table.

Kurt heard him ask; "Is this seat taken?" Saw her shake her head no, and sank down at the same time as the other boy, but at his usual table, in his usual seat, not by Kerri.

"Awww... Maybe tomorrow?" Kitty said hopefully.

But tomorrow was the same.

And the next day.

And for a week.

"I'm going to eat lunch in the gym." Kurt told Kitty and Piotr as they stepped out of the end of the line.

"I'm sorry Kurt... If I hadn't..."

"It's ok," He told her, "I just vant to get a little more vork out in."

Kitty could see the lie, but nodded as he walked out.

Kurt got to the gym, and ate some of his food before tossing his tray and going in. He opened the door, eyes downcast, and saw a lunch tray, not touched.

Weird, food wasn't allowed in the gym, and Logan only brought booze in here.

He looked up to see Logan sitting in his usual spot, smoke in mouth, weight in hand, bottle on floor.

"Who's food is zhat?"

"Hers." came the gruff reply as Logan nodded back toward another figure.

Hers? Kurt thought as he looked in the direction Logan had nodded. His jaw almost fell.

Kerri was on the beam, on her forearms, one leg in the air straight up, the other poking out kinda awkwardly trying to keep the balance.

She was not wearing baggy clothes or long pants like she normally did, either. She had on a pair of skin tight purple capris and a skin tight tank top that was also purple, although not the same color, and with some green on it too.

Kurt was having a hard time remembering to blink so his eyes didn't dry out.

"Hey, elf. What do you want?"

Kurt felt embarrassed as he realized that he'd probably been staring at her for more than a minute. "I, uh, I came here to vork out."

"Then get to it." Logan replayed and Kurt wondered for a moment if it was the cigars, cigarettes and booze that made his voice so gruff, after, all he'd been doing that since before Kurt had been born. Or thought of. Or his mom. Or- anyway. Kurt wasn't sure what to do; he wanted to impress Kerri, but he was more agility, not weights, and she wasn't looking anyway. He looked around and saw the vaulting horse. That should be pretty distracting, she might look at him then. He went over and started kinda just messing around.

Kerri looked up and saw Kurt playing around on the horse and she all but fell off, managing to land in a sit on the beam.

She was too distracted and nervous to try and stand on her hands again, it was taking all of her concentration before to be doing marginally ok, but now, with him here, just not happening. She wasn't sure what else she could do on the bar today, so she decided to go on the spring board, that one was fun.

Kurt looked up from the horse as he heard Kerri running across the room. She launched off from the spring board and flipped through the air. He could see that she wasn't amazing, but then, he had his whole childhood at the circus to compare it to, and that probably wasn't fair.

As she came down Kurt thought she might not stick it, but as she landed he knew.

Kerri bounced then rolled to try and cut down her momentum as she landed wrong. 'Thank goodness for padded floors,' she thought as she laid on her stomach for a second to not be dizzy.

Logan looked over in time to see Kurt rush to Kerri and kneel down.

"Are you ok?" He asked, turning her to face him. It was a moment of pleasant shock for him and frustration for her when they found eachother's faces.

"Vhat?" He asked uncertain in the wake of her seemingly annoyed gaze.

"I- it's just so weird..."

"Vhat, zhat you fell down? Did you forget about gravity?" Kurt asked with a half chuckle then immediately nervousness sat in as he worried about how she'd take it.

"No, you." She said quietly.

"Vas?"

"You look weird with that thing on."

He rocked back, away from her as she said it.

"Sorry, I just... It's true..." Kerri was smacking herself around in her head; 'Why did I have to be so rude?! Oh well, he probably doesn't like me anyway... being an ass and all...'

After a moment Kurt quietly said, "I could take it off."

"And just what are you taking off, elf?" they both looked up startled to see Logan standing over them.

The bell rang for class, breaking the silence.

"I have to get to class, see you later!" Kerri said a little too cheerfully and loudly as she jumped up and all but ran out to the changing rooms.

"Uh, heh?" Kurt stood up, "I'd better get zu die klasse too, spater!" {I'd better get to class too, later}


	4. They think I'm a pervert!

**[AN: Here's Chapter four! I hope you enjoy! Chapter five is a little short, look forward to getting five and six next week!**

**Translations are provided, so yes, you are reading double lol.]**

* * *

Kurt sat in his drama class.

Professor Remy was going on about dramatic irony but Kurt couldn't concentrate on anything he said.

_"You look weird with that thing on..."_ her words floated through his head, extending out, trailing on into nothingness.

_"You look weird with that thing on..."_

Wait, she'd said that before too!

Kurt thought back to when they were outside, when she'd tricked him into revealing what he looked like. _"That's why you look funny. What do you have on?"_

He looked at his arm. It didn't look funny, just different from what he really looked like.

He'd been wearing the hologram almost nonstop since professor Xavier and one of his friends had developed it for him, and had become used to it mostly. Probably because he wanted it to be true, to look normal.

And a lot of people had stopped teasing him, they'd probably forgotten what he looked like even.

There was no way she could like the way that he looked...

Was there?

What had she said when she first saw him?

_"You're not scared?"_

_"No."_

She'd been kinda flushed, he remembered. Could she have been lying?

But then she'd said, _"You should keep that thing off. Way cuter."_

His brain brought up the memory, trying to make him believe. But he was still sceptical, remembering his first crush.

Kurt was young and playing on the ropes behind a tent at the circus when he saw the little girl go past.

He'd seen her earlier and had been keeping an eye on her all day.

She was so pretty!

He snuck up to her, careful to stay in the shadows until he got close enough to speak to her.

"Hello." The little girl turned around to see who was talking to her, and her eyes widened as she saw Kurt step into the light.

"My name is Kurt, what's yours?"

But the little girl screamed and ran away crying for her parents.

The memory still haunted him.

He knew he was a good person, one of the good guys even, as an X-man.

But the way that pretty little girl screamed when she saw him, made him feel like maybe no one would be able to look at him without at least cringing. It was the first time he'd ever truly truly felt like a monster.

"Kurt, the bell rang to end classes five minutes ago. Are you planning to stay late and grade all of my papers for me?" Professor Remy jolted Kurt back to the real world, away from his waring hope and scepticism.

"Oh, neine, professor, just lost in zhought, sorry." He got up and gathered his things to leave.

"Do you have something on your mind? Something that maybe I can help you with?"

"Oh, no professor, just zhinking." Kurt denied as he escaped to the door.

"You know, Kurt, you can talk to me if you have any problems."

"Ja, sure professor." Kurt left and went to the library to study.

* * *

Dr. McCoy was sitting in the front of the library in his corral of a desk.

"Hello Miss Smith. Or Smithy if you please." He said around his book as Kerri walked in. Her lip quirked and laughter shone in her eyes though you'd have to be watching to catch it. "Going away to another world again?" He teased straight faced.

"Yes, you don't happen to have any wardrobes, secret bookcases, or scrolls of teleport around do you?"

"Why, it just so happens that something came in. I'm not sure which though." He said as he handed her the newest addition to the library, still in the brown shipping package.

"Oh, it's my birthday!" Kerri said and started opening it.

"Really?" He asked, hoping to get some new information on her.

"Nope. Sorry doctor. Not for a while."

"How long is a while Kerri?" Hank probed wondering if he'd get a straight answer.

"Summer. Thanks doc, I'm gunna go use the scroll in the corner."

"Summer." Hank muttered to himself. It was a better answer than the first time he'd asked how long a while was. _"Not now and possibly not in the foreseeable future."_ He sat and pondered, returning to his book.

When next he was disturbed it had been at least half an hour.

"Excuse me, Dr. McCoy, do you have Zhe Tameing of zhe shrew? I need to do a report on it for professor Remy."

"Why, sure Kurt, lets go find you a copy." They walked down the isles to the drama section, "It should be on this shelf." Hank turned to Kurt and saw him looking down the isle to the space beyond, where Kerri was laying on the long table in an L with her legs up against the wall, ankles crossed, and the top of her head toward them.

"Are you trying to read over her shoulder, my dear boy?" Kurt jumped and spun to face Dr. McCoy,

"N-neine! Das ist nicht- i mean, no doctor."

Hank looked at the blush on Kurt's face and smiled knowingly."Ah, so another puzzle piece falls into place."

"Vas?"

"You could go sit by her you know, it would be easier to read over her shoulder that way." He teased.

"I- I'm sorry, professor, I forgot zhat I had danger room training today, excuse me please."

"Wait, you forgot your book. Oh well, he'll come back for it, I guess." Dr. McCoy said as he watched Kurt hurry away.

* * *

The next day Kurt went in the lunch room and stayed.

"You look happier today." Kitty commented.

"Ja." Kitty continued to look at him, waiting. After a minute he continued; "I saw Kerri yesterday."

"How? She didn't come into the lunch room."

"Neine, zhat's because she vas in zhe gym."

"Oh! That's awesome!" After a quick look at the table that Kerri normally sat at Kitty asked,

"She's not here today either, do you think she's there now, are you going back?"

Kurt blushed, "Vell..."

At the blush Kitty started talking a mile a minute, "Did you make a date?!"

"No..."

"Did you kiss her?!"

"No!"

"Are you too nervous to go back now because you know she's there?"

"No..."

"Then what Kurt, you have to tell me!"

He cleared his throat nervously, "Vell, you see..."

Kitty sat looking at him with rapt attention.

Kurt sighed and told her what had happened, ending miserably with, "So she said zhat I look vierd and Logan zhinks I'm a pervert! I can't go back."

Kitty sat, digesting for a minute. "But... She only said you look weird with your inhibitor on?"

"I zhink so."

"Maybe you should go without it." Poitr put in from across the table.

"Yeah! Kurt just go and have it off!"

"But vhat if she zhinks I look veird vizh it off too." He had his face down on his hands with his elbows on the table and fingers clenched in his hair.

"Well... You never know til you try?" Kitty looked at Poitr for his usual genius insight. He gave nothing. "Come on Kurt, what did she say when you offered to turn the inducer off?"

"Nozhing. She didn't have a chance."

"Then, you don't know, she might like it. The worst she can say is no, right?"

"Neine. It isn't." 'She could run screaming from zhe building, never to return.' Kurt thought.

Kitty had Poitr dragging Kurt down the hallway, he was trying to escape, but Poitr was too strong.

"Here you go, Kurt, last stop!" She said cheerfully.

"Neine! I don't vant to go in!"

"Yes you do, or else you would have teleported away a long time ago."

Kurt sighed realizing she was right.

Kitty and Poitr watched him walk into the gym, only to see him come back out a moment later. "She's not zhere."

Kitty was about to tell him to look again, thinking that he was just nervous, when the bell rang. "She must've gone to class. But! Tomorrow!"

* * *

It was after classes now, and Kurt had to go to the library again, having not succeeded in obtaining the book he needed yesterday.

As his foot crossed the library's threshold he stopped in surprise.

It was jam-pack crammed with people.

He sighed feeling in camaraderie with those who had waited til the last minute to do end of term projects.

Hank stopped him as he started toward the drama section, "Mr. Wagner, I believe you left this yesterday."

"Oh, zhank you, professor, now if only you had saved me a seat!" Kurt said with a laugh that Hank returned.

"Well, there is another table, my boy, and you are welcome to sit at it."

"It's not full?" He sceptically looked around.

"No, well, if it is, just tell her that I told you to tell her to scoot over. Just go down that isle to the end and turn left and keep going until you get to the table."

As Kurt left Hank said to himself, "Now to wait a moment and follow these events."

"What events?" A voice came from his side.

"Oh, Ororo, nice to see you."

"It is a pleasure to see you also, what events are you talking about?"

He told her about Kurt reacting to Kerri yesterday and what he thought. She chuckled quietly and added, "I knew she liked someone, she tried to say that she just wanted to look like herself."

"Well, co-conspirator, shall we go spy on the children?"

"We shall." Ororo answered as they walked down the isles together to watch, hidden.

Kurt followed the directions, taking the book with him. When he reached his destination, he saw Kerri laying across the table, same as yesterday, and surprisingly alone at the table.

"Uhhhnnn..." He started, unsure.

She looked up at him, upside down, and her face flicked through emotions, then ended up on slightly annoyed.

When Kerri heard the voice, instant recognition hit and she was excited to see him, looked at his hologram was angry and settled on kinda agitated.

"Can I help you?"

Kurt's mind raced trying to find something to say, finally settling on; "Dr. McCoy said to tell you to scoot over."

Kerri looked at him blankly for a moment then rolled over, ended standing on the chair at the end of the table, and stepped off, landing with a foot on either side of the chair before sitting down and getting comfortable with her book.

Kurt sat down and tried not to stare, which turned out to be easy as he got tangled in the web of Shakespeare's eloquent speech. He was getting confused, he knew what the words were and what they meant, but they didn't make any sense when put together in a sentence. 'Vas in der Holle does "let's be no stoics nor no stocks" mean?'

Kerri peaked over her book at Kurt. He looked like he was getting flustered. She was still confused that she was having this reaction to his hologram. She thought about him without his hologram and she felt excited like she couldn't wait to talk to him, but as she looked at him over her book, he was just a person, and earlier, it was like she'd been promised ice cream and then gotten broccoli. She couldn't quite understand why it was important that Kurt should look like himself, when her whole power had to do with not looking like herself.

Kerri looked him over again and came to the conclusion that maybe his hologram wasn't the worst thing in the world, it was a little cute when he was flustered. Not as good as she remembered his real self, but not bad.

"Vas ist das..." She heard him mutter to himself.

Kurt was distracted as Kerri leaned forward a little and asked, "What is what?"

Kurt's eyes jerked toward and locked onto hers. "Oh, just..." He felt like he was being studied intensely. "I vas vondering vat zhis meant..."

Kerri looked at the cover, "What are you reading?"

"Zhe taming of zhe shrew..." Kurt turned the book so she could read it.

She nodded, "Mmm, good story. But you don't understand the language?"

Kurt felt slightly offended, "I understant English perfectly."

Kerri just laughed, "Even people who have English as their first language don't understand the language, verstehen?" {understand}

Kurt was startled by her laugh, she'd looked so dark and introspective since she'd taken on her real body, and maybe even before, but her laugh was light and full of mirth, her eyes lit up with humor where there was only investigation before. He realized she'd spoken in German, "Sie wissen Deutsch?" {You know German}

"Kleine." Kerri answered. {a little}

"How much?" Kurt asked, eager to have someone to speak with in his own tongue, even though he was very proud that he could speak English perfectly well.

"I just told you, a little."

"Wie viel ist ein wenig?" Kurt pushed. {How much is a little}

"Whoa, German boy, I told you, a little. In some times and some places, it's enough to get by."

Kurt accepted that she wasn't going to answer any more, "So, if you're so smart, vhy don't you tell me vhat zhis means."

"Which part?" He showed her. She took a moment and Kurt was about to feel smug that at least she was stumped too, when she answered; "Well, stoic is like impassive, and a stock is a person with no sense, so Tranio says, 'master, I'm as excited as you are, glad that you're sticking to your decision to learn philosophy, but while we admire it as a virtue and a moral discipline, let us not be indifferent and stupid, or so dedicated to Aristotle's philosophies,' he means obsessed, ' that we're renounced as outcasts like Ovid. Argue logic as you do well, practice your skill with common talk, music and poetry stimulate you, math and metaphysics, do them when you can, you can't make money if you don't like what you're doing, in short, study what you like the most.'"

Kurt just looked at her.

"What?"

"How do you know zhat?"

"I study."

Kurt continued to look at her, "Und?"

"And what? I study. I also read a lot of books... you have a lot of time to do that when no one wants anything to do with you..." she finished quietly, 'Jeez, why did i tell him that?! He doesn't need to know my life story! I sound like an emo brat. And now my tail is out, I can feel it...' She tried to curl it down, under the chair so he couldn't see it.

"Ich weiss dass." Kurt muttered to himself, not noticing her tail, or how hard she was trying to hide it.

"Do," Kerri started but stopped talking.

"Vas?"

"Do you..." She made a half gesture at the book and Kurt watched in amazement as her face slowly turned red, "Never mind."

He looked at the book and back at her. "Vould you, maybe help me, if I need it later?"

Kerri let out a big breath she'd been holding and her face returned to normal color. "Sure, if you'd like."

Hank and Ororo stood watching them from a hidden distance. They turned to each other, pleased and congratulatory.


	5. See you in the bath, sorry it was a joke

**[AN: Sorry it seems so strange and sporadic when I update, it's just that this story had thirty eight chapters, thirty one of which are out on another website, and I'm going over and adjusting the page set up for transferring them to here, so it's taking a bit, but get ready for the mother lode soon!]**

* * *

Kurt, Kitty, and Piotr were walking into the lunchroom. "So you saw her in the library last night? What did you do?" Kurt explained as they walked through the line and over to the table. He finished and went to sit down when Kitty asked, "What do you think you're doing, Kurt?"

"Um, I'm sitting down, so I can eat? Vhy, vat's wrong?"

"Kerri's not in the lunchroom, so that means she's...?" Kurt looked at her confusedly. "In the gym. On your way Kurt." She finished.

"Can't I just eat my lunch first?" Kurt sighed pleadingly.

"You think I don't know that you're going to sit here and eat as slowly as you can?" Darn, he'd been found out. "Eat on the way. Do I need to have Piotr carry you again?" She threatened when he hesitated.

"Neine, ok, ok, I'm going." Kurt took his food and ate as he walked to the gym. He threw his tray in the garbage and walked in, nervousely looking for Kerri.

He saw her on her forearms on the floor by the balance beam with her legs straight up, wobbling from leaning against the beam to on their own.

Kurt tried to find something to do, but doubted he could do anything to distract her today.

'Nicht aufhoren, Kurt, stark sein.' He tried to pep himself up. {Don't stop, be strong}

He glanced over at Logan, sitting on the usual bench, in the usual manner, and walked over to Kerri. "Hallo," he said cheerfully.

Kerri's heart skipped a beat and she opened her eyes to see Kurt standing above her. She was suddenly very self conscious as she realized that he was looking at her, upside down, with nothing covering the flaws in her shape; skin tight workout clothes upside down left very little to the imagination.

She felt a pressure against her tail bone and closed her eyes, trying to go to her happy place and stop her tail from pushing out, "Hi."

"So... Vhat are you doing?"

"Practicing balance..." She answered, eyes still closed.

"Oh... yeah..." Kurt felt stupid for asking such an obvious question.

"So, vhat are you doing here?"

"What are you doing here?" She shot back trying to push down the urge to wave her tail around.

"Um, I came to vork out, of course, it is a gym." Kurt blushed and fidgeted for a second, "So, vhy aren't you at lunch?"

"Why aren't you at lunch?" Kerri shot back again.

"Vell, I already ate mine, but I didn't see-" Kurt stopped, blushing.

"Didn't see what?" Kerri opened her eyes and looked up at him.

"Um, Nozhing!" Kurt blushed and tried to laugh it off.

"Come on, didn't see what?"

"Vell, you." Kurt said still blushing.

"Ok..." Kerri trailed off confused.

"Vell, I vas just vondering, and it's none of my business, but, and you don't have to tell me, if you don't vant to..." Kerri's head was getting overloaded and she had to flip back to right side up to make sense of it. "I vas vondering, vhy don't you eat in the lunchroom anymore?"

"Uh," Kerri's hands shot to her head and her eyes to the floor, she made a pretense of smoothing her hair while she scanned her shadow and head for signs of her ears; she thought she'd felt them prick. "Well, to tell you the truth," she turned back to him, satisfied that her ears weren't poking out the top of her head, "there's been this sudden rash of annoying guys that keep trying to sit by me. They just keep asking me questions and talking about themselves. Annoying, you know?"

Kurt nodded, he did know, he'd sat, watching and listening jealously as the other boys had sat there and made almost insufferable small talk. It made him happy in some small way that she thought they were annoying too. "You-" He froze, then pushed it out, " you could sit by us, you know, if you vant. Me and my friends, I mean."

Kerri felt a struggle inside of her, yes, she did want to sit by him, but she didn't want him to ask her because he pittied her. "You, don't have to ask me to sit by you because I helped you with your homework, you know."

"I'm not, das ist nicht, I mean, I'm really asking if you vant to. To come sit vizh me. Us I mean. My friends and me." He couldn't stop blushing. {That's not}

Kerri studied his face wondering how much truth a hologram could show, or hide. Kurt again felt as if he was being studied intensely. "Do you ever take off your hologram?"

"Vas?" He was taken by surprise at her question.

"Do you ever take off your hologram?" She repeated.

"Ah, only in zhe bazh." Kurt joked with a laugh.

"I see. I guess I'll have to spy on the boy's locker room then."

Kerri's face seemed serious causing Kurt to blush and sputter, "Uh, das, eh, es..." {Uh, that, eh, it}

"Don't worry, it's a joke. Sorry, I'm not used to socializing with people much anymore." Kerri started walking off, thinking to herself, 'great, already acting like a freak. You'll fit in he says, talk to more people she says. Did better not talking to anyone and just randomly stalking conversations.'

"Vait," Kurt grabbed her arm to stop her from leaving.

She looked at his hand on her arm, getting agitated at the hologram again, "what?" She asked, exasperated.

Kurt took the look on her face as annoyance at him touching her and let go, "Vell, do you vant to?"

"Want to what?"

"Sit vizh me. And my friends."

"Still? Even after I'm such a," she caught herself, knowing that "freak" would probably strike a sour note with someone who wore a hologram everyday to not look different, "idiot."

"Himmel help zhe people zhat can't read Shakespeare, even zhough English is zhier first language, if you are an idiot." He said with a smile. {Heaven}

She blinked with a start, he thought she was smart. Then she could feel it, her large wolfy ears were pointed back, behind her in dismay, as was her bushy tail. She was glad that they were the same sandy strawberry blond as her hair, as it would be easier to try and hide them.

She suddenly smiled and put her hands behind her head with her elbows out to push her ears into her hair and distract Kurt.

Kurt looked at her, confused by the sudden smile. As soon as her ears were gone, Kerri suddenly switched positions to having her hands clasped straight down behind her, with her tail pressed up into her hair.

"Vas, vas are you doing?" He asked, baffled.

"Nothing." Kerri said as she felt her tail vanish.

"Vhat is behind you?"

"Nothing." Kerri answered again.

"Ok," Kurt said, disbelievingly, as he tried to peer behind her. She also looked behind where she was standing at the nothing that was now there. "So, you didn't answer my question, are you avoiding es?" He asked, a little put off by her strange behavior. Maybe she was acting wierd to make him go away.

"No, I just," she became quiet, "I don't do well in groups anymore, you heard me, being such a spaz, and I'm only in front of you. Well, and SmokyBoozeHound over there, but he's not really in the conversation."

"Zhat's ok, ve don't expect anyvon to be perfect." Kurt laughed at her name for Logan. Kerri looked into his hologram's eyes, they seemed kind, but how reliable was it? "I'll think about it," she told him as the bell rang, "See you later," she said as she turned toward the locker rooms to go change.

* * *

Kerri laid across the table as she usually did, reading, but she noticed that she kept getting distracted, thinking about Kurt.

Did she want to sit by him at lunch? Maybe. Probably. A little. Yes. She did.

Did she want to look like an idiot in front of him? No. Defiantly not. Especially not him.

She shook her head and tried to concentrate on her book, but soon found herself distracted again.

It didn't get any better the next day as she sat through her first three classes, distracted, until lunch, when she stood outside in the hall for the first half of the period, and sat for the last half, holding a book so she looked like she was doing something, but she was just anxiously and nervously arguing with herself internally. '...I'll look like an idiot. I don't know his friends. It's just pity because I always spend lunch in the gym. It's only because I helped him with his homework...'

"Kerri, what are you doing in the hallway?" Storm asked as she walked toward the girl.

Kerri looked up at her, "Oh, just reading," she motioned with the book, "waiting for class to start."

"It must be a very emotional part in the story; your face was so expressive."

Kerri nodded.

"What are you reading?"

"101 Grimm fairy tales."

"And why is the book upside down?"

Kerri looked at the book and confirmed that it was indeed upside down. "Um, practicing my upside down reading?"

"Really? How are you doing?" Ororo challenged her.

Kerri held the book toward her and read a few sentences aloud.

"Well, have fun then." Ororo told her, thinking it was a little strange and continuing on down the hall.

"Thanks be that I already have that skill down." Kerri muttered to herself.

* * *

"Come on, Kurt, go to the gym and see if she's there." Kitty tried pushing him verbally and physically.

"Neine. She said zhat she'd zhink about it. Vhat if she comes in here vhen I go to the gym to look for her." He stubbornly sat at the table.

"Well, I guess you have a point there. But promise that if she dosn't come today, you'll go look for her at the gym tomorrow." Kitty compromised.

"Ok, I guess I could do zhat." He conceded.


	6. And before that

**[AN: Some naughty words you shouldn't use in here lol.]**

* * *

In the end Kurt had waited until the bell rang, and she still hadn't come.

He laid on his bed in his room and did his homework. Or rather, looked at his homework. He needed to finish his term papers by Monday, he only had two left, but there was only three days left to do them.

His tail waved aimlessly through the air above his head as he tried to concentrate.

He was a senior, and he knew that those papers needed to be done in order to get a good enough grade to graduate.

His tail lashed as the thought stressed him more, so he took a deep breath and tried to remain calm.

He thought about going to the library, but what if Kerri hadn't shown up because she was rejecting his offer, or him altogether?

Kurt sighed and tried to concentrate again.

* * *

Kerri laid on her bed in her room.

She sighed and put the book down and rolled over.

It was confusing in her world.

It'd only been two and a half months since she'd been taken from the alleyway.

She'd been there for about a year, and before that...

Kerri sat in her class, a regular high school sophomore, sitting in class, reading a book.

The kids around her were all very loud and annoying.

She was starting to get agitated that the group of girls two rows over were talking about her like she couldn't hear them. This was a normal thing for them; talking bad about everyone or about how popular people were, or pretty much everything trivial.

Kerri imagined what she'd say to them if she had the courage, _"you think your so hot? You're only popular because your self image is so bad that your eating disorder has caused you to become grossly skinny, and your attention seeking daddy-never-loved-me-ness has you sleeping with everyone you think is marginally sought after among the people you're so jealous of!"_ Kerri stopped, taking a breath to calm down and laughing to herself internally with a smile.

The bell rang signaling the end of school and she slowly gathered her things, dreading going home.

She hated it there. It was horrible, with her stepfather being a terrible douche and her mother being such a whiny race for his love type of person.

As she walked home she read her book, staving off the real world, even while in motion, a skill she'd gained quite naturally.

She got to the door of the house and opened it. No one was home, her favorite time of the day. She walked about freely, sitting in the living room, drinking water, reading, as the tv was always locked.

Then the sound of an engine came and she put everything back to exactly as it had been and scurried to her room.

After a while they left again, and she figured they'd gone out to dinner, without her, again. She figured that she'd get the same, "oh, we didn't know you were home," excuse they always used, even though her music could be heard and her light could be seen through the door.

She sighed and took out a few packets of crackers, that she'd gotten from school, from her backpack, since she wasn't allowed to touch the precious food that her mom hadn't locked in the room downstairs with the padlock.

It wasn't nice, but that's how she'd been living since her mother had remarried after her father had died.

* * *

Kerri woke up the next morning and got her stuff before leaving for school, stomach growling as she walked out the door, but she knew better than taking anything to eat, even if she was starving, it wasn't worth the six hour long lecture about how she was fat and ugly and stupid and needed to stop eating all the food in the house.

She got to school and sat down in class, and had a normal day, until last period.

She sat there again, reading, and again the girls two rows over were talking.

Not about her this time, but one of them made the comment; "what's so great about reading? Like, books are so dumb."

Kerri thought, 'not as dumb as you...'

"And what is reading this stupid book ever going to do for me?" The girl threw the book on the ground and kicked at her friend.

Kerri's eyes widened, 'so offensive and disrespectful...'

The girls laughed and continued talking.

Kerri read her book, getting deep into it, and let the girls's words float over her, "wow, that guy is so hot, I'd do him in a minute!" 'wow, what a whore. Well slut since she wouldn't get paid.'

Another girl, "pish! Like, not even a minute! I'd do him in, like, less than a minute."

Having the habit of talking aloud sometimes when she was alone, Kerri slipped and said aloud to herself, "Your genius astounds me, being able to differentiate between 'not even a minute' and 'in like under a minute'. Brainiac."

The girls looked at her, their faces turned into confused but disgusted snarls, "What did you say?"

Kerri looked up at them, realizing she'd spoken audibly, "What? Are you talking to me?" She put on the "innocent face".

"What did you say?"

Kerri answered,"Oh, just commenting on the book."

"To who?"

"Um, myself I guess..."

Kerri turned and blocked them off, but they started talking directly at her, amongst themselves. "It's so rude of people to eavesdrop, don't you think?"

"Yeah."

"There should be a punishment for that, like standing in front of the class and apologizing for being so nosy."

"Or, ugly."

"Or stupid."

"Or maybe they should make them clean the classroom."

"Or they should make them tell all of their secrets, since they listen to everyone else's."

"Yeah, like who they've slept with."

The ringleader seemed to really like this thought, "yeah, hey, who do you think Kerri's slept with?"

"Probably no one, she's probably too much of a prude."

"Yeah, or she's just so ugly that even the dog wouldn't sleep with her."

"No, come on, I bet the dog's let her go down on him."

All the girls laughed at this and Kerri just sat there, now she'd done it. This is what she got for existing. This was her lot in life apparently.

"Who else do you think?" the ringleader prompted.

"Oh, that really fat special ed kid! She probably told him that it was just a game, and got him to do it with her!"

Kerri felt like an angry animal with a bristling tail and puffed up body, when she felt what felt like hitting her tailbone on the corner of a table. It hurt, but she didn't know what she could've hit it on, she was sitting down on a chair.

"If she could even find it!" They laughed.

Kerri moved around a little, but didn't feel anything.

"If he'd even get stiff from looking at her!" More laughing.

"Oh, oh, the teacher! She probably blows him everyday so she can sit here in class and not do any work, but still pass!"

"Oh, her dad!"

"Her dad died stupid."

"Her stepdad then."

"He probably died because she was such a bad lay!"

They laughed.

"Shut your stupid, slutty, penny whoring, glow-in-a-black light from cum, ass licking, cock sucking, shit gargling, piss drinking, gaping chasm of an over sexed hole in your face you call a mouth!" Kerri said in a low voice.

"What was that, we didn't hear you." The ringleader said rudely.

Kerri slammed her fists on the table and jumped up yelling, "I said shut your fucking stupid slutty mouth, you whore!"

Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at her.

But it wasn't because of what she'd said, at first it was, but now it was because of the fang like teeth showing in her mouth, the way her hair was standing bristled up around the large canine ears on her head, and large bristled tail standing out straight behind her. They didn't even notice the claws digging into the palms of her hands.

"What?" She questioned loudly, before grabbing her stuff and leaving the classroom with everyone's eyes on her.

She ran down the hallway and didn't stop til she got home and was sitting in her bedroom in the closet with a blanket held tight as she hid in the corner under the hanging clothes.

They'd made her so mad.

She wasn't used to getting so emotional, but her week had been worse than normal.

Probably due to her getting her license in the mail finally. She was surprised they'd let her take the car in the first place, her stepass had probably just wanted to laugh at her when she failed, but she'd passed easily with high marks.

She sat wondering and crying, something she didn't usually give herself time for, when she noticed that her palms were bloody. She dismissed it as just her fingernails doing earlier.

The next day, she took a deep breath and steadied her resolve as she walked into her last class, she'd made it this far without anyone talking about her, she felt like maybe it was about to burst open.

Everyone in class looked up as she walked in, and watched her as she walked to her seat. There was whispering through class and she knew some of it was about her, but the bell rang without any big incidents, and she went home, never even knowing that she'd changed the day before.

It was the next week that it happened again.

This time she was just annoyed with people talking about her.

She could hear them talking about whatever the biggest gossip was, and it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that it was her, when they stopped talking and watched her when she walked past.

She felt the bristling of annoyance, and as consequence her hair bristled a little in back, the canine ears were back, sticking back in annoyance, there was suddenly a soft trail fur down her back bristling, and her tail, while down and away in calmness, was slightly bristled as well.

There was a sudden gasp of others, and then of the rest as they noticed her appearance.

Kerri looked up at all of them staring, and some pointing. Her look changed to confused, her fur flattened, her face became more canine-esque, her head tilted and her ears swiveled around.

This she felt and put up a hand to feel what was on her head. She felt something soft and fuzzy, nice even. Her hand kept going and her other hand joined on the other ear, when her hands had traveled the whole ear, she realized the shape, and tugged.

Everyone was inexplicably silent, watching her discover, as she tugged again she let out startled noise and broke the spell of silence.

Kerri ran out of the class and into the hall bathroom, not believing her hands, but the image in the mirror was the same as what she felt, and worse; she hadn't noticed her nose or tail before.

She stood in front of the mirror trying to comprehend, closing her eyes and trying to make it go away, but it didn't until someone walked in while she had her eyes closed.

She looked up at them, worried about the girl screaming, but the girl just gave her a look as though she was being strange.

Kerri looked into the mirror and gave a breath of relief, she looked normal.

The bell rang as she was walking into the class again, so she just gathered her stuff and left, everyone staring at her.

Kerri got home and wondered if it'd all been in her head, maybe she was finally cracking, it wouldn't be unheard of, after all there were all those kids that got picked on and brought weapons to school. She thought that was stupid, why would anyone ever do that? But now maybe she had her answer, maybe they went crazy first.

But that didn't seem right, she still didn't want to bring anything like that to school, and even though she sometimes wanted to smack the stupid out of someone, it seemed normal to feel that way sometimes.

It had gone on like this for a few days, people talking, her changing, different things at different times, but always the same animal, always the same color.

People started staying as far from her as possible, going so far as to not sit where she had sat previously.

Then she wondered to herself one day in her room after school, "Why is this happening to me? What is happening to me? Let's review. I randomly grow fur, a tail and ears. What kind are they?"

She thought for a while before deciding that they were canine and probably wolf. "So, what, am I turning into a werewolf or something?"

She thought about that. "Well, that's weird, but with all the weird stuff happening to me."

She decided to not decide.

The next week at school, everyone had the answer.

There had been a program on over the weekend, showing the evils and terrors of mutants, and how they were springing up everywhere.

Everyone started whispering mutant as she walked by.

The counselor had called her "parents" to a meeting also this week.

Kerri waited at home for what seemed like forever. But later her mother and stepass got home and went about like everything was normal.

They didn't yell at her, or anything out of the normal routine, so she assumed everything was ok.

But when she got up to go to school the next day, her stepass was still home.

Kerri wondered what was going on, but went on her way, knowing better than question him.

The next surprise came when she got home from school that day.

Her bedroom door was locked.

Not just locked, there was a whole new apparatus on it, chains, hooks for the chains to hang on, padlocks.

It was pretty formidable, and there was no way she was getting through. On the door was a note that said simply; "Get out."

Kerri stood staring at it for a while.

She knew this day was coming, she just thought it would be when she was eighteen, because by law you had to take care of your children until that time.

Apparently not if they were mutants.

Kerri thought, what could she do? If she didn't leave before they got home, they'd kick her out physically, and she'd have no resources... but what could she possibly take, and what would she carry it in? And where would she stay?

Then she remembered, she'd had her window open a few days ago and she had a habit of never shutting the window quite all the way, maybe it was still open.

She ran outside and around the house, to the window, using the swing set her father had built her to climb up to the window and try to open it. It worked, the window opened and she was, after some trouble, in.

Kerri gathered some clothes, all the money she'd scrounged up, and her essentials like hairbrush, ponytails, and packed them in her old gym bag, leaving enough room for some food, and getting another bag to stuff food into. She went back out the window and around to the door, carrying the bags.

As soon as Kerri got in, she dropped the bags and started rooting through the cupboards, she grabbed every can of fruit and vegetables she could find, every packet of oatmeal, all the tasty snack treats that they'd never allowed her to eat, she rolled up the remaining cereal bags and stuffed them into one box, she got the carrots from the fridge, and anything else that she thought would last and stuffed what she could into first one bag then the other. She made a good hearty lunch out of perishables and put it into a lunchbox with an icepack, then made a big snack out of the perishables.

Now everything was all packed up, where should she go?

She needed time to think about it, but they would be home soon, she didn't have much time.

Normally she'd just hide in her room. "And why shouldn't I?" Kerri asked herself, "they think I'm locked out, and that I won't be able to get in, and it looks like they're afraid to catch mutant, they probably won't ever open my room again..."

Kerri nodded in decision and gathered the things again, taking them back around to her bedroom window.

She climbed up the swing set and hoisted the bags through then struggled in herself, closing the window and hiding her things just in case they decided to come look. She finished reading the book she'd been reading that day and put it away on her shelf, lamenting on not being able to bring any books, but she needed the room for food, and she was already almost over encumbered with what she had, but she felt better when she thought that for sure no one was going into this room anytime soon.

Her mom and stepass got home, she heard the car drive up, and they came in the house.

It was a while before dinner time but when it came she heard them start yelling, because she'd taken all the food she was sure. They yelled then went out and slammed the car doors as they left.

Kerri pulled out the snack she'd gotten earlier and ate it for dinner, finally feeling like they got something they deserved.

Then she laid down and thought of where she was going to go, what she'd do, who might take her.


	7. Did he see?

**[AN: Nothing to say here, please enjoy!]**

* * *

Kerri woke up the next morning in her bed at the institute.

She wiped the crud out of her eyes and took a big cleansing breath.

She knew that she shouldn't let the past get to her and just let it go, but something that had lasted so long, ended so badly, it was just hard to let got of. The same way that it was hard to hate her mom.

She was the woman that had given birth to her, and even though she'd never done anything to protect her, she'd never done anything _to_ her either.

Kerri sighed as she got up and went down the hall to the girl's dorm bathroom.

* * *

Kurt got through the end of the lunch line and followed Kitty to the table only to receive a look from her.

"Vhat?"

"You promised," was the only thing she said.

"Oh, ja. See you later." Kurt walked out of the lunch room and headed to the gym.

Kitty looked at Piotr, "I'm getting a little worried about him." She told him as she looked to the door where Kurt had left, "he's been down a little bit, do you think it has to do with- Oh, speak of the devil." She interrupted herself as she saw Kerri walking through the door she was looking at.

Kitty watched Kerri got through the line and start toward the table she had normally sat at. "Oh no, don't tell me she's not going to the gym today..."

Piotr looked over to the table Kerri was at. "Looks that way."

"Oh no, Piotr, you have to tell her, Piotr, please got tell her she needs to go to the gym." Kitty fretted.

Piotr got up and walked to Kerri's table, she looked up at him and he said, "You need to go to the gym today."

Kerri stared at him for a moment, "Yes, thank you. I'll think about that while I eat my lunch." She watched him wall back to his table thinking, 'what a weirdo.' Then continued looking around to see if Kurt was there, but didn't find him.

'I knew it,' she thought, 'he's avoiding me.'

"What did she say?" Kitty pounced on Piotr as soon as he got back.

"She said she'd think about it while she's eating."

"Did you tell her that Kurt was there?"

"No, I was unsure if you wanted her to know why she should be there."

* * *

That night while he walked to the library Kurt thought about what Kitty had told him. Kerri had been in the cafeteria and that he'd missed her by only a minute.

He saw her standing just outside the door to the library, biting her thumbnail nervously and gazing through the opened door.

"Hallo." Kurt said as he walked to her. Kerri jumped in surprise as he spoke and turned to look at him.

"H-hello."

"Vhat are you doing here?"

"Um, just being surprised at how many people are in there." Kerri said, she wasn't going to tell him that she was standing there wondering if he was in there and if she'd see him if she went in, and also how awkward that might be since it seemed he was avoiding her.

"Ja, all of us seniors have to finish our end of terms."

"Oh, yeah. Wait, you're a senior?" Kerri asked.

"Ja, since zhe first of zhe year." Kurt joked.

Kerri recognised the joking tone in his voice and felt more at ease.

"Aren't you too?"

"No, I'm a junior." Kerri said, then stood there awkwardly, unsure of the situation, or if there even was any.

"Oh." Kurt tried to think of a good way to bring it up, "So, you veren't in zhe gym today."

"Um , no." Kerri paused before shyly admitting, "I was in the lunch room, looking for you."

Kurt looked at her face and thought how cute she was, looking to the side with a slight blush. "I vas in zhe gym, looking for you." he told her as he blushed a little too.

She looked up at him and he could see a hint of a smile on her face, like she was happy, but wasn't used to showing it. "So, vill you meet me in zhe lunchroom tomorrow?"

"I," she paused and her eyes lowered, "I could do that, I suppose."

* * *

It was the next day and as the bell rang for lunch, the teacher called Kurt to the front of the class and he caught Kitty and asked, "Please make sure Kerri doesn't leave, she told me zhat she'd meet me today."

"No problem, Kurt, I'll take care of it."

Kitty sat down and stared at the door as she talked to Piotr, "Should we ambush her when she walks in, or wait and just make sure that she doesn't leave?"

"Do you think she'll talk to you if you try to ambush her?"

"Good point. There she is, better think fast..." she watched Kerri walk through the line and slowly towards the table she'd sat at yesterday. She didn't look like she was leaving so Kitty just watched her.

She jumped as Kurt tapped her shoulder and asked, "Vere ist Sie? You said-"

Kitty waved her hand at him, "Don't worry, she's right there."

Kurt looked over and his heart began to race; she looked cute and a little vulnerable as she looked down at her tray and worried her lip in between her teeth.

Kerri sat looking at her tray and bit her lip as she cynicised to herself; 'I knew he wasn't going to come... he's probably somewhere laughing at me... Why do I always trust people, I need to stop taking the risk...'

Kitty pushed Kurt toward the table, "You can do it. Just ask her to come over. You can do it. You can do it Kurt!"

Kurt stumbled over to the table where Kerri was, 'Just do it. Do a character who's confident, professor Remy always says, "to achieve a goal, use what talent you have..."'

He took a breath as he stepped up to the table and put on the character, "Hallo," his character was forgotten and his resolve failed a bit as her face turned; she looked so fragile, lip between teeth, eyes widened and at the edge of looking teary. With a long blink of her eyes her face transformed to look stiff, blank, and emotionless.

Kerri closed her eyes for a second as she brought the reins down tight like she'd been practicing so nothing could slip and change form before she stared into his eyes.

'Why does he have to wear that hologram, he looks better without it. Oh, crap, how long have I been staring at him? I'm being creepy again.'

Kurt took a breath and said, "Sorry I didn't get to meet you before, professor Summers vanted to talk to me about my term paper." He saw Kerri's face relax a little before she said, "It's ok."

'I need to say something else so he knows It's really ok...' Kerri thought in the pause of her speech, "I understand." 'Mental facepalm. I can't believe I'm so lame.'

Kurt felt awkward standing while she sat so he just asked, "Do, you, vant to sits vizh us today?"

"Well, nn, are you sure it's ok with your friends?" Kerri stalled nervously.

Kurt was slightly thrown off by this and Kitty, who was not so subtly leaning to listen called to them, "It's ok with us!"

Kerri's eyes widened a little as she saw the girl leaning into the isle.

"See, alles gut." Kurt gained some of his confidence back. {It's all good}

"Ok." Kerri said and picked up her tray and followed him to the table.

"I'll be right back, I have to get mein lunch."

Kerri nodded as she recognized the other boy at the table as the one who told her to go to the gym the day before and made the connection between that and Kurt saying he'd been there looking for her. 'Wow, he was actually looking for me.' A smile appeared on her lips as she pushed her food around on her plate.

"So, Kerri, what's your power?"

Kerri looked up at her wide eyed. "Um."

"Kitty."

The other boy spoke only one word but it was evident what he meant. 'Now that's a guy who doesn't waste words.'

"What, Piotr? I'm just asking. I can phase through stuff." Kitty continued to Kerri, phasing her hand through the table in a downward waving motion. "See?"

"I wonder if I can do that too." Kerri said to herself.

"You can phase through stuff too?"

"Maybe, let's see." Kerri took a moment to focus on picturing her hand fading through the table, then stared at Kitty's face and waved her hand down through the table.

But it didn't go through, it just stopped on top. "Looks like not."

"You could practice." Kitty said, trying to be helpful.

"No, it's ok. That's not my power anyway."

"No? Then what is it?" Kitty asked confused.

Kurt slid onto the bench across the table from Kerri with his lunch tray. "Vhat is vhat?"

"Her power." Kitty and Kurt looked at her waiting. "It's ok, you can tell us. I told you I can phase through stuff. Piotr can turn all metaly and he's really strong."

"Ja, and I can teleport and see in zhe dark and stick to valls and stuff. But zhat's just because I'm cool."

They looked at her, waiting. "I, I'd rather not..."

Kurt leaned to the side and told Kitty quietly, "Please don't make her feel uncomfortable." Kitty nodded and changed the subject.

For the rest of lunch Kitty and Kurt talked about the term papers that were left and tried to include Kerri, but she told them that she was a junior and didn't have any. They talked about class, and what kind of pranks they'd like to pull on the teachers for April fools day, even though it was months away.

Kerri ate slowly while no one was looking at her, and noticed that Piotr didn't really talk at all.

"So Kerri, what are you going to do this weekend?"

Kerri looked up, startled out of her reverie by hearing her name. "Um, library and gym." She answered without thinking about it.

Kitty got a devious look in her eye, "Kurt's been wanting to go to the gym and work out a lot lately, maybe you could go together."

Kerri's face heated involuntarily, and she felt her tail twitching. She looked down at her tail to see if it was really there, and focused on making it disappear. After it did she turned back to her food, but mid turn she saw Piotr looking down at her.

She froze, 'Oh crap. Oh crap oh crap oh crap. Please don't say anything. I don't want him to know. He'll think I'm weird...' She thought and tried to keep tight control over her emotions. After a moment Piotr turned back to his food and continued eating as if nothing had happened. 'Thank God. He didn't see.' She finished turning to her plate and continued eating.

During which she missed Kurt turning red too and elbowing Kitty, making her giggle.


	8. Ooops

**[AN: It's Wednesday, which is the day I normally post things, so have a chapter! A lot happens in this chapter, it's going to get a little dark in the series, I realized I forgot to warn about that, and that it's going to be getting a little, shall we say naughty, later too lol. Please enjoy!]**

* * *

Kerri sat in math doodling on her homework.

"AH-hem. Miss Smith." Came Professor Summers' voice.

A smile grew on her face from the inside joke and she looked up at him. "Yes professor?"

Scott was thrown off. "Um. Why aren't you doing your homework?" He tried to get the stern look back.

Kerri continued to smile. "Professor, I'd love to do some homework, if you ever bothered to give me any that was worthwhile to do." The other kids in the class looked up at her and stared in disbelief. There was an oooOOOOooo there somewhere too, she was sure. Apparently the other students didn't want to mess with Professor Summers, but Kerri was still far too defensive for her own good.

And BAM.

Really? One comment and she was sitting in front of the principal's office? Or, rather, the large room that was professor Xavier's office.

Ororo walked out of the office, "-and then I'll get back to you on that. Kerri, what are you doing here?" She asked as she noticed the girl looking agitated on the chair, she also swore that she saw a flash of, something, like Kerri had flipped her hair back and forth a few times? That didn't make sense, as Kerri had been staring at the ground and her face had suddenly spun towards her, but there was nothing else she could see for the explanation.

"Professor Summers said I should come talk to professor Xavier about my love of art and my vocabulary choices." Kerri twisted the words so they sounded mundane, or perhaps get a good spin, instead of what was really meant.

Ororo took a second to process, then guessed, "Did you graffiti swear words on something?"

"No, ma'am. I try to only draw on my own paper." Kerri answered. She wondered why the teacher asked, she sounded like she was trying to be her mom, which was weird, since that was more than her own mom would do.

Ororo nodded and glanced into the office, then told Kerri she could go in.

Kerri walked into the office and stood by the chairs in front of professor Xavier's desk. She needed to be on her feet, in case she needed to run for it, and it made her both nervous and secure that the door closed all the way. These were just left over habits from having do be safe and defend your territory on your own for a long time.

"Kerri, have a seat." Professor Xavier offered.

"No thank you. I much prefer to stand, if it does not offend." Kerri used the large word vocabulary to both cover emotions and try to gain favor, as she did when she was nervous.

Professor Xavier nodded to her in consent before going on; "Professor Summers told me that you, shall we say, mouthed off, to him?"

"I'm sorry professor, I'm sure I don't know what you mean; He asked a question and I merely answered him. It is not I who am at fault when people can so easily misconstrue my words." Kerri tried for elegance in her play at innocence.

"Miss Smith," This brought a conspiratory grin to her face as it always did, "you mean like you just tried to misconstrue to professor Monroe a moment ago?"

Kerri didn't even blink. She knew that professor Charles Xavier was smart, and she always tried to never underestimate her opponent. Enemy was too strong. Viewing everyone as an opponent or enemy was also a holdover from her previous situation. "Perhaps."

Charles smiled internally to himself at her game. And he didn't have to be psychic to be able to tell that she knew he knew she was playing. She was getting chattier now that someone was talking to her besides teachers, but he could tell that she was using it as a defense mechanism, not as a social tool. "Did you know that purposely misconstruing words is called lying?"

"In politics it's called spinning." She shot back without hesitation, smile still in place. He really was the only one besides Dr. McCoy who would verbally spar with her.

"Setting that aside, what did you say to Scott?"

"He asked why I wasn't doing my homework, and I told him that I would if it was worth doing."

"And why isn't it worth doing?" Charles tried to get to the bottom.

Kerri had a flare of defensiveness. "It's boring." She knew it was a general answer that didn't really say the real reason, but she was still in the mode that told her it was best to not give too much info, thus power, about herself.

"I'm sorry, but that's not an acceptable reason." He said knowing that she would understand the reprimand.

"But I'm still ok as long as I pass my tests, right?" Kerri asked.

"I suppose. Kerri, I think I'd like you to start coming to a session with me."

Kerri's expression changed. "About what?" She asked, doubting but fearing creepy.

"So we could discuss your past, it may help you open up to other people."

"No thank you professor." Kerri said and thought about telling him about her past with distaste.

"Are you sure? Ok then, if you change your mind you can come see me anytime." He told her as she shook her head.

* * *

Kerri went to the gym and worked on her flexibility that night and was not the only one there for once. There were about ten other people and a couple of them came over to her while she was stretching.

"You're Kerri, right? Did you really tell professor Summers to go screw himself?" One of the four asked in wonder.

Kerri looked up at them, confused, "No."

"So it was really that you told him to go eat dog shit?" Another asked in awe.

Kerri again looked at the person in confusion, "No."

"What did you say?" The third asked.

"I said that I'd do homework if he had any worth doing..." She told them matter of factly.

The first three looked let down, but the fourth still looked amazed. "You said that to his face?!"

She nodded and the other three looked at each other, deciding this was still minorly badass. "So, what's your power?" One of them asked nonchalantly.

Kerri looked at him like he had five eyes, which he didn't. "It's, not really any of your business."

"What, you don't want to tell people 'cause it's so lame?" One taunted.

Logan looked on from his usual bench as Kerri looked at these kids with no change to her expression.

"Is that a yes?" another teased.

He shook his head. Some of the younger teens could get so cagey, starting up fights at the drop of a hat. He decided to watch and see how this girl was going to handle it, seeing if she even needed any help, since she always put out an aura of having it handled.

Suddenly one of the first three kicked her in the leg and Kerri's territory protection instincts kicked in. She looked around and then watched as the last two other students left to the locker room, all the while taking the abuse from these three, the other one was wussing about how they should leave, and not giving any sign that she cared. Then, as the two girls got through the door and it closed, her eyes snapped back to the tormentors and her hackles raised.

Logan watched one of the group kick her and his arm paused in lifting the weights he was holding. That's not what is supposed to go on in the gym. Even though he loved a good scrap, you couldn't go around ganging up on one person.

He watched as the kid looked around and he noticed what she did, there was just them, him, and two girls heading to the locker room. He watched the kid as she watched them til they got out of sight.

Then her face was back on the group and he could see hackles raising. He sat, still locked in the same pose and heard an audible growl. It was the animalistic growl of a feral animal, and he recognized it well, having made that sound himself before.

He watched the kid as she grew a tail and large ears, long, sharp teeth, sharp claws, how hadn't he noticed those before? And the group was taken aback. Then he heard her say in a low growling voice, "What's your biggest fear?"

The wuss squealed and she looked at him before showing a fangy smile. The leader looked at her as she stared into his eyes.

"Got it." And then she transformed.

She grew taller, and more muscular, then razor like claws grew and matching spikes pushed out of her arms and legs, of which she now had six, she turned the grey color of a gross rotting corpse and the fangs in her mouth got bigger, dripping saliva. Her eyes sectioned into seven black, glaring, hate filled orbs, mandibles grew out and clicked at the group.

The creature spoke hardly recognizable words, "You will be next, and then you, and then you... You will never be able to hide from me." And then it let out a horrifying, roar? That didn't sound like the right word. More like a cross between the t rex in the movies and the raspy squealing of a creature that shouldn't exist. And then it lunged at them.

The head boy was just about wetting his pants and the other three were frozen in horror as Kerri lunged toward them.

She laughed as they ran away from her, her form falling back to her hackled up self. And then, someone laid a hand on her shoulder.

She turned around, a little bulked, and saw Logan. His face gave nothing away, had no fear, hatred, or mistrust. And for that, she held him as an idol.

Her body shrank to it's normal size and her gaze dropped to the ground.

She supposed she should feel bad, but that's how she was now, had been. And she couldn't help but feel a feeling that felt suspiciously like a dark sense of satisfaction from what she'd done.

And now came the self loathing.

* * *

Kurt sat at the table he always found Kerri at as he finished his last term paper, and hoped that she'd show up. Ok, it was more like praying that she'd show up. And he jumped and looked behind him every time he thought he heard someone coming, hopefully thinking it might be Kerri.

He waited all the way until bed time, when he slowly walked out, thinking he might pass her somewhere still.

* * *

Logan sat in a chair at the front of Charles' desk.

"So, she used her powers again," Logan nodded, "against students," nodding again, "on purpose." Nod.

Charles steepled his fingers.

"She was provoked. I was there. It was a clean usage for her," he said, using the military term for reasonable allowance.

Charles looked at him over his fingers. "And she was definitely not doing it to be malicious?"

"The kid was provoked. She looked damn near suicidal after." Logan defended.

Charles' eyebrow lifted a little at the term for endearment from the large hairy man before returning to the issue. "You don't think it'll happen again?"

"If someone attacks her or her safe space, it'll happen again." The grumble came from knowledge and past experience.

"They attacked her safe space?"

"Not this time. But it might happen."

The professor turned, in deep thought, "She refused the one on one counsel... She won't do her homework. Do you think she's fit to handle the danger room?" He asked as he turned back.

After a pause, "Maybe level four."Logan approved.

Charles turned again, "I believe she might benefit from some alone time in there. Then we could perhaps add a person that she trusts."

"It'll be hard to find one of those." Logan spoke.

"Yes, we'll have to give it some time. I'd like you to start this tomorrow during third period with her. And take Hank and Ororo into control with you, they've taken a certain interest in her."

"Yes, professor."

* * *

Kerri laid in her bed, tears streaming down her face. She pretended that she wasn't crying, but there wasn't anyone besides her there anyway, so it shouldn't matter. She was just used to trying not to show emotion. It just made things harder on you when you lived with someone who enjoyed it when you cried.

The instant replay in her head kept replaying in an endless loop.

Transforming, terrifying those kids, laughing, feeling pride...

She was a monster.

A terrible monster who didn't deserve to be here, or anything good, or to sit next to a cute boy, even if he did have that stupid hologram on.

Maybe she just deserved to die. Maybe she should have...

She thought back to the last night in her mom's house and her most shameful secret...

* * *

Kerri got to her Language Arts class and sat down, noticing that Logan was there, leaning against the teacher's desk.

'That man. He never seems to stand.' Kerri thought to herself with an internal laugh.

"Kerri, come with me." He spoke to her from only a few feet away.

Kerri looked up, and decided against making a scene, already thinking that if she was getting thrown out she could go to lunch and pack some food... And then the pang from not seeing Kurt again... Not that it mattered... Not that he could ever like such a horrible person... Or thing... Maybe that was the right word for her.

She followed without paying attention to where they were going.

"This is the danger room." Logan pulled her out of her thoughts as they entered a large room with what seemed to be a very large door on one wall and a hallway on one side. This was the second time she'd been here, but she didn't say anything.

"Go inside, you'll be alone. No one will be there." He told her.

"What am I supposed to do in there?" She asked, confused.

"Just go fight. That's what it's there for." With that the doors opened and he walked away.

Kerri looked in before anything.

There was a table, a rack of objects, she couldn't tell what from this distance, a water cooler, a punching bag, and a mannequin, a mannequin? That's what she saw.

Up in the booth Logan, Ororo, and Hank stood looking down at her through the one way glass panel.

"She looks like a nervous animal." Ororo commented.

"More like a wary one." Hank spoke.

"Will she come in?" Ororo asked Logan.

"Just give her some time. Smart animals don't walk into traps so easily. And that kid ain't stupid." Came the gruff reply.

Kerri finally stepped into the room. She nervously jumped when the doors automatically closed.

She looked up at the window, "I know you're there."

No reply.

"Why am I in here?" No reply.

She flipped off the window. Nothing.

She took a deep breath and yelled a long string of cursing insults, using the word "fuck" in every fashion she knew.

Ororo's eyes widened, "What a mouth!"

Hank nodded.

"We should do something about this, she shouldn't talk like that to a teacher!" Ororo exclaimed.

But Logan motioned for her to stop. "She's just baiting us to see if there's really anyone here. She'll stop in a minute."

Kerri yelled until she ran out of breath. Then went to the water cooler, got water, and sniffed it suspiciously for a minute before sticking her tongue into it. It was cold, but didn't taste strange, so she drank it.

She walked over to the other side of the room, examining the rack of objects, but kept glancing at the mannequin. Man, was that thing unnerving.

She was so distracted that she couldn't pay attention to the rack, so she wandered over to the mannequin.

Poke. 'What are you?' She asked it in her mind. Realizing she sounded crazy, she joked, 'be ye friend or foe?'

She walked over to the punching bag. 'Well, he did say fight...' She put her water on the table and went to the punching bag again.

She hit it, but didn't feel any different. "So, I'm just supposed to fight until you come get me?" She asked to the empty room.

No answer, big surprise. "Hey, what are you looking at, bub?" She tried to do a mobster voice, " You looking at me, you must be, ain't no one here but me." She hit the bag.

Then she made what she thought was a good stance and hit the bag a couple more times. But she still didn't really feel different. "Supposed to think about what makes you mad, right? Right, or at least that's what they say in the movies..."

She thought of that ass who married her mom. She kicked the bag with a solid thud. "You ass hole." She told it. She kicked it again, it felt nice. She kicked it harder, "Ass hole." Harder, "Asshole!"

She punched and kicked it with satisfying thuds, "You're a asshole." She forgot about grammar.

"I hate you." She told the thought of her stepfather. Kick, kick, punch, kick, punch, kick kick punch kick punch punch KICK, KICK, PUNCH PUNCH KICK KICK, "I hate you!" she bellowed her rage and attacked the bag. "I hope you die a horrible death!" She started puffing with each hit, "Ahhhh, ahhhh!" Then she was out of breath and fell to her knees, "Why? Why?! Why did you leave me, you horrible hag?!" She clutched the bag for support and growled to herself.

The guilt was instant. She'd called her mom a hag. Guess it wasn't as bad as she'd thought in the past, and her mom wasn't here, but it still felt like betrayal.

Kerri took a moment to compose herself and went back to her drink. She drank it and refilled it, sitting at the table.

She got bored and got up to start halfheartedly hitting the bag again.

She thought she saw the mannequin move out of the corner of her eye, but when she stopped and looked, nothing.

She hit the bag again and after a minute, movement. She stepped closer to it. Nothing. Step. Movement.

She let out a startled noise and stepped back. The mannequin moved toward her and she stepped back again. The mannequin moved toward her still and she backed up one more step, but then hissed at it, straight out, like a cat trying to frighten a predator.

The noise was a shock to the teachers in the booth, except for Logan. They were testing her boundaries to see what happened.

Kerri stared at the mannequin coming toward her, "Get away!" she told the inanimate object. But it kept coming. "What do you want, you damn moving object!" she yelled, "Get away from me!" It kept moving.

She got to the table backing up, and realized she was loosing ground. "Stop!" she ordered and her fingertips hurt as she clawed the mannequin, but as it had no soft skin to attack, her hand just thudded into the plastic.

"I said stop!" She yelled as she kicked the mannequin over, "Get away from me!" She kicked again and it skidded across the room.


	9. It just knows what it wants

**[AN: I'm glad that people are reading this story! lol anyway, here you go! Oh yeah, there's math in here, but don't feel like you have to do it, lol Kerri has the right answers, don't worry. I hope you enjoy it!]**

* * *

'Fear for safety, several warnings given.' That's what the paper in professor Xavier's hands said.

He nodded and put the paper onto his desk.

"And you're sure this test is conclusive?"

Logan nodded.

* * *

Kerri was a cat in the ally she lived in, there was a noise and she turned to investigate.

She saw Kurt, and she was suddenly herself, crouched down.

"Vhat are you doing here?" He asked.

Worry struck Kerri as she thought that Kurt might find out about her problem. She tried to not feel anything, but instantly felt something, just like when you can't scratch one spot, it's the only spot that itches. She felt her tail start growing and her ears were so big that they flopped in front of her eyes.

Kurt looked at her in horror.

"No! NOO!" She cried out in agony.

There was a noise behind her and she turned to see a mannequin coming towards them.

Kerri was struck with terror and tried to tell Kurt to run but he wouldn't listen, he just kept yelling that she looked freaky. The mannequin kept coming for them. It was getting closer, closer.

Kerri started screaming and sat up in her bed. She realized where she was and was glad that no one was there, as she was in terror defense mode, and probably would have grown into a strange, terrifying creature.

She wrapped her arms around her knees and cried.

She was used to self soothing since she'd pretty much been on her own since she was nine. "It's ok," she told herself, "your dreams can only hurt you if someone else is around. So, don't be around anyone."

* * *

Kerri walked down the hallway to lunch after class ended. She paused at the door and looked in.

Where was he? She needed to stay away from him. If anything her dream had done, it had reminded her of that. She jumped as someone grabbed her arm and pulled her into the line as they started talking to her.

Kitty walked towards the lunchroom and saw Kerri standing by the door, peaking in around the door like a nervous child trying to see if she was home alone.

'Poor Kerri. She needs a hand getting to the table. I'd better help her to make sure she gets there ok.' She grabbed Kerri's arm and pulled her into the line, "Hi Kerri! How are you doing today?"

Kerri looked at her still startled. "Um... Ok I guess."

"Good! How was class?" Kitty continued talking as she dragged Kerri through the line.

"It was ok. Um, listen, I-" Kerri tried to get away, but Kitty pulled her over to the table, where Piotr had already settled and Kurt was standing, putting his tray on the table.

"Look who I found!" She said and sat down.

Kerri stood there awkwardly, not sure what to do, and torn between wanting to sit there, and her dream in the back of her mind, telling her to get away from him.

Kurt felt a push in his back and turned to look down at Kitty. She was giving him an urgent look at Kerri, meaning he had to act fast or she might run.

Kerri was trying to think of something to say, but before she could, Kurt turned to her and motioned for her to sit down in an old fashioned gentleman's gesture. Kerri paused while Kurt continued to gesture, but then sat down in the empty spot across from Kurt, next to Piotr, and Kurt sat as well.

Kerri was trying to figure out a way to get out of there when she felt something touch her leg under the table. Confused she looked down and under the table to see what it was, but saw nothing. She tried to put it out of her mind.

'Kitty can carry on some pretty good conversation by herself,' Kerri thought as Kitty asked her a continuous stream of questions, which she answered in monosyllabic answers, while trying to think of a way to leave politely.

"So, you know how we went to mini golf for my birthday last year?" She asked Piotr and Kurt, who agreed, "and we went to that restaurant for Kurt's, and for Piotr's we went to the movies?" They agreed again, "I think this year I want to go to the zoo."

"Kitty, your birthday isn't for a month." Kurt told her, trying not to be obvious that he was looking at Kerri. He blushed as he felt his tail touch something and yanked it back to him as he saw Kerri look under the table. His tail seemed to have a mind of it's own some days.

"I know, I'm just saying! What about you Kerri? When is your birthday?"

"The summer." Kerri replied, turning back to her food after looking under the table.

"What did you do for your last birthday? Was it fun?" Kitty tried to continue the trail of questions while ignoring the incomplete ones.

Kitty and Kurt looked to her and Piotr ate, listening.

The truth came out without Kerri's real permission, "It was the first time I ate cat food." She looked up, horrified, but then she quickly reorganized her face to be neutral. "And no, it wasn't fun."

Kitty and Kurt looked shocked and even Piotr paused on the bite he was taking.

"Uhh..."

"Zhat's..."

Kitty and Kurt stuttered trying to think of something to say.

"That's life." Kerri finished matter of factly, looking back to her almost empty tray and feeling awkward.

Thankfully the bell rang for class and she got up saying, "See ya." And almost ran for the door.

Kitty looked at Kurt, "Wow..."

Kurt got a strange feeling in his chest, it tightened like his heart was getting squeezed.

Piotr watched Kerri run away. "If you love her, you can't let her go, no matter how hard she fights."

Kurt turned back to him and the wisdom he couldn't quite understand. 'Vas?'

* * *

Kerri sat in math and read the book she had checked out this morning.

"Ah-HM." Came the now known throat clearing of professor Summers.

Kerri looked up to him but didn't say anything, just staring at him.

"Miss Smith," Across her face came the grin, "why aren't you doing your homework today?"

"I'm trying to finish this book by bed time." Kerri answered antagonizingly.

"You need to do your homework, or you won't be able to pass your test." He told her.

"I feel fairly confident that I'll pass the test." Kerri told him.

"If you won't do the homework on your page, why don't you try to do it on the board, in front of the class?" Scott demanded.

"Ok." Kerri said and closed her book.

She followed him to the front of the class while the rest of the kids followed her path with their eyes.

He wrote the problem: X = 15+2(5x3)

Kerri took the pen and looked at the problem. She wrote 15 above the parentheses, 30 below them and then X = 45. She solved it before Scott could even turn back around.

"What are those numbers?" He asked.

"My work showing how I solved the problem." She answered.

"Then how about this one." He put another problem on the board: 2x +10 = -4x -2.

Kerri looked at it and worked the problem, ending with a few nonsensical numbers around and then X = -2.

Scott looked at what she had written, he could tell where most of the numbers went, and she had the right answer. So he wrote a harder one.

3x +7-6 x -2. Kerri looked at it for a second then wrote her work and the answer; X -1

Scott looked at the problem, saw she had the right answer, and wrote a geometry problem.

Kerri worked it and wrote the answer.

Kerri finished writing the answer and looked at the problem. It was right, she was certain, but she started checking her answer when professor Summers turned to her, "Go to the Professor's office."

Kerri's eyebrows merged as she became agitated, but she took a breath and pushed the emotions aside, trying not to grow a tail to lash angrily at him. She got her class stuff and book and walked out of the class room.

She walked down to the office, trying not to be angry. 'Stupid.' She thought, 'this is stupid, being sent to the principal's office for knowing how to do math.'

As Kerri walked up to the door of Professor Xavier's office the door opened and he called her in.

Kerri felt a little nervous, but when she looked into his face to gage the situation, he looked pleased. In a prestigious, smart, bald old man sort of way that only he could pull off.

"So, that's why you don't want to do your math?" He started in the middle of the conversation.

Kerri raised her eyebrow. "Huh?"

"You don't want to do your math homework because it's boring, because you already know how to do it and it's easy." Charles stated.

Kerri's face went back to normal, "Yes."

"Why didn't you tell me before?" He asked.

Kerri got half way through a shrug, but stopped and answered, "It didn't seem important, as long as I passed the tests."

"You didn't want to be challenged?" He asked.

She just mumbled in reply, "My last school didn't have anything higher than geometry."

"We're lucky to have professor Summers, he's very good at advanced math." Charles commented, "Would you like to learn?"

She looked up at him and studied his face.

Knowledge had always come easy to her, but where she was from, it wasn't just handed over, you had to fight for it, no one would give it to you without something in return. Even the teachers she had, they'd had the information, but you had to sift through all the other crap they were trying to teach to find something new, and they only wanted you to learn what they were teaching; if you were smart, they wanted you to sit down and not cause problems by asking questions the rest of the class wasn't ready for.

"Yes." She finally answered.

* * *

Kerri got halfway to the library before she remembered that she was trying to stay away from Kurt.

Were end of terms over? Would he be there? She really wanted to be somewhere other than her bedroom, and the gym was closed. But as it turned out when she got there the library was closed too.

She walked to the common areas and found students all over, sitting on the couches talking, watching TV, playing games. It looked fun, but she would feel awkward breaking into the groups that had already formed.

She noticed that while there were a lot of students in the classes, there weren't that many here. She knew that some of them had gone out to do things, it being Friday and all, and she thought that she remembered that some of the students came here even though they lived at home, and that maybe some of them weren't mutants, but kids of some parents who wanted to teach their kids that mutants weren't evil.

She wondered if that were true, and if she had scarred any of them for life the other day. She felt another pang of self hatred and turned to go back to the dorms. As she turned she bumped into a solid body.

Kerri looked up from the ground and her eyes met Kurt's hologram's. "Oh," she said in surprise.

What Kurt was going to say left his mind as Kerri crashed into him. She was close, really close, as in they were still touching. His heart sped up and his tail started twitching to get away from his waist.

Kerri realized that she was still touching him and stepped back. "Hi." She said unsure.

"Hi." Kurt repeated, and tried to think of something clever to say.

Kerri's dream returned to her and she stepped back another step, remembering that she was trying to stay away from him. "Um, I-"

Kurt's hand shot out and grabbed her before she could escape. "Do you vant to go for a valk outside?"

Kerri was stunned. Uh, yeah she wanted to go for a walk with him, um, no she couldn't be by him... "O-o-ok." She stuttered as her words betrayed her. "Wait, it's December, it's freezing out there."

"Zhat's ok, here," Kurt said as he grabbed a blanket off of the back of an empty chair and handed it to her.

Kerri wrapped the blanket around her as they walked outside, and was glad that she'd worn her shoes to go to the library.

As they walked along the wall Kerri couldn't keep the slight look of distaste off of her face when she looked at him.

"So... you can see zhe stars pretty good over here..." Kurt suggested the first thing he could think of.

"Ok." Kerri said and they wandered over to the side of the building and sat down, looking at the sky. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye and her face turned sour again.

Kurt looked over at Kerri, her face looked upset, he wondered if it was because he was with her. Her face cleared as she looked at the stars, with the moon shining onto her skin. He was struck by the way she looked, beautiful...

Kerri jumped as something touched her leg, and her face shot to where she was being touched, but she didn't see anything.

Kurt looked down too and saw her staring confusedly at where his tail was touching her. "Uh... Sorry.." He mumbled.

Kerri looked up at him. "Is, is that your tail?" She asked.

"Yeah, it... has a mind of it's own sometimes..." He told her, embarrassed.

She felt a small smile on her lips and quickly turned away.

'Oh, no,' Kurt thought, 'she doesn't like it...' He pulled his tail away.

"It's kinda strange to not see what is touching you." She said in the silence.

She didn't sound disgusted. Kurt's heart skipped a beat and everything she'd said before came rushing back to his mind. "I can take it off if you vant." He told her confidently, watching to see how she'd react.

Kerri blushed and looked at her other shoulder to hide her face and shuffled around the blanket to give her something to do and hide her shrug.

Kurt felt empowered and decided to go for it. He pushed the button to turn off the inducer and held his breath.

Kerri saw a bit of a flash from the corner of her eye as the inducer was turned off and turned to look sheepishly. Her face heated and she pulled the blanket up to hide her cheeks. It was a good thing that the moon was bright tonight, or Kurt might've disappeared in the shadows altogether. Kerri managed to keep a neutral face, but it wasn't long before it was too cold to stay outside.

Later as Kurt went about getting ready for bed, he turned to the mirror in the bathroom and turned off his inducer. He saw his blue, furry self, yellow eyes, tail...

Kerri hadn't run away or anything. She'd just gone back to looking at the sky with the blanket pulled over her.

As he got into the bed he thought over the day.

First Kerri didn't seem to want to be by him, or them maybe, then she tried to leave when she bumped into him in the common room, but after he'd gotten her outside, she had sat there, making no complaint until she was too cold to stay out there and he'd been numb for a while, but had wanted to stay with her.

Kerri pulled the blankets of her bed up around her and wondered about her dream. Maybe it was just that, a dream. Maybe it would be ok to be around Kurt. She closed her eyes as she giggled internally and kicked her feet a couple times, he was so cute!

The next day Kerri ate lunch by herself and actually felt kind of lonely. It seemed that Kitty, Piotr, and Kurt had gone out to the mall or something, Kerri couldn't remember exactly what she'd heard them decide on.

She wandered around mostly, working out in the gym, looking at books in the library. It was kind of an empty school kind of day, with most of the kids gone. Kerri went to bed that night and tried to tell herself that she wasn't disappointed that she hadn't seen Kurt today.

Kurt sat in the food court at the mall with Piotr and Kitty, lost in thought.

"I'm sorry Kerri didn't want to come to the mall today, Kurt." Kitty told him out of nowhere.

Kurt looked up, shaking off his thoughts. "Vhat?"

"I said, I'm sorry Kerri didn't want to come to the mall today, Kurt." She repeated.

Kurt blushed and started denying.

"Uh-huh!" Kitty teased him, laughing.


	10. What the hell, Kitty!

**[AN: Chapter ten, I hope you enjoy it! Also... It's kinda naughty!]**

* * *

Kurt sat in class daydreaming.

Kerri was sitting in the moonlight with him, but this time they were both sitting on a blanket, instead of her being wrapped in one.

She looked over at him, "Kurt, I really like you." She laid her head on his shoulder and stared up at him with her big, green eyes.

"I really like you, too, Kerri." He told her as he leaned down and his lips pressed into hers.

His hand moved around her cheek to pull her closer against him. Her breasts pressed into him and he imagined they'd be soft.

His face broke into a big silly grin as he day dreamed about french kissing Kerri. He tried to look at the desk and look like he was focusing on his papers.

The bell rang and Kurt was brought out of his day dream, but paused as he started to get up, and realized he had a problem... He was already up... Somewhere else...

He blushed and tried to inconspicuously check if it was visible through his hologram.

Kurt thanked everyone he could think of who had anything to do with making the hologram, because it didn't show. He still felt self conscious, though, as he walked into the hall to lunch.

Kitty followed Kurt out of the class room. "Why are you walking so funny?"

"Uh, no reason." He blushed violently.

Thankfully he calmed down by the time they got to the lunch room, and Kitty told him to go ahead, because she had something to do, which was to search for, and then wait for Kerri.

She waited until Kerri walked towards her and called out, "Hi, Kerri! Fancy running into you again!"

Kerri felt startled then awkward at being jumped at so suddenly. "Hi."

Kitty escorted her into the line and over to the table.

Kurt leaned over to Kitty. "Zhat's vhat you had to do?"

Kitty nodded with a smile.

"Zhank you," he told her as he blushed. His blush deepened as he looked at Kerri and remembered his day dream.

Kerri sat quietly through lunch and peeked up at Kurt, thinking of him without his hologram, and Kitty continued her usual conversations through lunch. "What are you going to do after classes today?"

Kerri looked up and mumbled something about going to the library.

After lunch Kerri arrived in math class and Scott stopped her. "Here is a test for you, so we can see where you are in the class." So she spent the whole class taking tests.

* * *

Kerri walked into the library and found the normal amount of people, and Dr. McCoy. She smiled in greeting and walked to the fantasy section to pick out a new book and put the one she'd finished away. She sat at her usual table and started reading.

Kurt walked slowly, trying to take his time, he didn't want to get there before Kerri and look like he was being creepy.

He got into the library and saw Dr. McCoy talking to Ororo. "Is there anything I can help you find today?" He asked as Kurt walked past.

"Nein, zhank you, professor." He answered while trying not to look as though he was making a bee line anywhere.

Dr. McCoy looked back to Ororo and they smiled to each other knowingly.

Kurt walked up the isle and saw Kerri reading. He couldn't help think how cute she looked with her lip between her teeth and her fingers running through her hair, reading her book distractedly.

"Can I sit here?" He asked.

She slowly turned her face, still looking at the book, then looked at him with her lip in her teeth. "Ok." She answered.

They sat in silence most of the time, with Kurt doing his homework, trying to not daydream about Kerri, or get caught peeking at her, and Kerri reading, and also trying to not get caught peeking.

* * *

Most of the week past uneventfully with Kerri slowly becoming accustomed to sitting by people without being feeling like they might secretly hate her, and her unemotional mask slipping, until Friday at lunch.

"So, Kerri, what are you doing this weekend?" Kitty asked.

Kerri shrugged. "Not much, I suppose."

"Do you want to come with us to the mall tomorrow?" She giggled, "there are four of us, I'll go with Piotr, and you and Kurt! It could be like a double date!"

Kerri looked up at her, part of her hopeful and part of her worried about how Kurt would react, and she saw that Kitty had a smile on her face, looking at Kurt, and Kurt had a look on his face, like he was horrified that Kitty had said that.

Her mind linked it to him being horrified at the thought of going out with her.

Kurt looked at Kitty, mortified that she had suggested so flippantly his greatest desire at the time.

Kitty smiled at him, a smile that said, I did you a favor, thank me, then buy me something at the mall.

As he turned to Kerri to try and be more cool about it and try to do some damage control, Kerri said, "No, that's ok. I gotta get to class, professor Logan is taking me into the Danger room," as she quickly got up and started leaving, "see ya."

She tried to keep her voice normal, even though she felt like was about to cry. She dumped her tray and walked as fast as she could to a closet she had found around the time she had first gotten there, it was on the second floor under the stairs to the attic, so not many people walked past, and it mainly had just the normal cleaning supplies, but her favorite part was the extra curtains, or sheets, or whatever they were, hanging on the back wall, which made an excellent place for her to sit under and hide when she felt bad, like she used to at home.

She didn't cry, just sat and coped. She had hoped deep down that maybe Kurt had liked her, and maybe wanted to go out with her.

She sighed as the bell for class rang, and got up, peeking out the door before she made her way down to the Danger room.

As she walked in, Logan met her and told her they'd be going over minor battle techniques.

After she got her work out clothes on and they were in the simulation, a large padded floor, a couch and a water cooler, Logan and she sized each other up. Kerri tried to appear smaller and weaker.

"Ok, kid, try to attack me without using your powers." Logan told her with a cigar clenched in his teeth.

Kerri cocked her head and stayed where she was.

"Whenever you're ready." He told her.

"But, I'm not used to attacking..." She admitted to him.

"It's ok, kid, just come at me with whatever you got." He prompted her.

"No powers," she muttered, then walked closer to him.

He just stood still, waiting for her to make a move at him.

Kerri's eyebrow quirked and she bit the inside of her lip.

Logan continued to watch her, unmoving except for the trail of smoke wafting from his cigar.

Kerri threw her right hand like she was going to punch, but when Logan moved to block, she ducked around him and punched him in the side with her left, not hard, but with enough strength she thought it would make a solid thud.

It connected but didn't make even a slight difference to Logan, who hardly felt it. He turned and looked at her. "Nice try at a sneak attack."

Kerri nodded, then saw that he was making a move to punch, her body subconsciously stiffened and moved back a little, then as she saw where the strike was coming from, she bent to the side like she was just dodging, but her hand met the floor and she leaned back and as Logan's arm moved past her, Kerri planted a kick in his other side with her right foot.

Logan turned his arm and caught Kerri's foot against his side and turned to pull her off of her feet. Kerri landed on her other knee, managing to stay off her butt, and Logan started to throw a hit into her shoulder. Kerri turned to her side and used her speed momentum to turn and knock his fist off course, punching him in the gut with her other hand.

Logan caught her arm and Kerri used the getting out trick, twisting her arm suddenly out of his grasp and flipping over so she was face to the ground, holding herself up with her hands and her leg still pinned to Logan's side. She put her body close to the ground and did a half push up half kick, using her whole body to add more force behind her twisting kick. Her foot landed against his jaw and her force was so great that she twisted all the way over and landed on her back.

Kerri looked up at Logan who had his free hand on his jaw. Her next reaction was to kick him in his most sensitive area, but this was just a practice fight, so she coiled her leg and kicked up fast and strong, stopping before she actually connected, but making it clear what she would have done.

Logan looked down at her foot flying toward his male anatomy and had a moment of worry before her foot stopped, four inches away from him. He looked down at her and saw that she had controlled the kick. He let her leg go and said, "Ok, that's enough for today."

In the control room, Logan walked in to Remy laughing. "She almost got you in your giblets, mon ami."

* * *

Kerri was still taking it a little hard and kept to herself as much as she could the next week, avoiding places she thought Kurt might be, but she still got pulled over to the lunch table everyday.

Kitty turned to Kerri and asked her the question again, "So, Kerri, do you want to go to the mall with us tomorrow?"

Kerri looked up at her and answered, "No, thank you." She gathered her things. "Excuse me, I've got to go get ready for danger room training."

"What are you doing in there?" Kitty asked, trying to get her to stay.

Kerri turned back and a small smile appeared on her lips. "Kicking Logan in the shins while he pushes me around. See ya."

Kitty turned to the table after Kerri walked away. "I think she's sad about something... That look on her face..." She thought about how Kerri's face had gotten less and less stiff as she had sat with them, and now she was a little more stiff, but also a little more forlorn looking.

* * *

Kerri walked into the Danger room after getting dressed and saw Logan already in there.

"Today, we're going to let you use your powers, kid." He told her.

She looked up at him. "I don't want to use my powers."

Logan paused, confused, "That's today's training."

"I don't want to. And I don't think you could coach me on how to use them, they're different than yours."

Logan scratched his chin and blew smoke through his teeth. "That's the training today. Use your powers or not. Try not to get hit." He thought he could trick her to use them, anyone might if they got hit enough, the body's natural fight or flight would kick in and she might use them anyway.

Kerri stood, looking at the big hairy man in front of her and waited.

He came at her with a punch that she evaded, another one was close behind, she dodged, and then came a flurry of attacks.

Kerri had to keep backing away to dodge, and as she noticed that she was loosing ground, she figured out his plan. He was going to attack until she had to use her powers to escape. But she didn't want to use them.

She had known she was not normal long before she turned mutant, but this, unlike her personality and upbringing, she could control, and she didn't want to do it anymore.

If she ever wanted a life with someone else in it, she couldn't use her powers, this was her thinking, and as Logan finally landed a hit on her, she laughed internally.

This was not her first time getting attacked by a bully, and she felt confident that with her past of being hit, and her ability to not care and compartmentalize, she'd last longer than he had to hit her, or until he knocked her out.

As Logan threw another punch at her she froze and closed her eyes, making no move to block.

Charles looked down on the situation from the control room. Kerri was standing still, was she trying use some new power they hadn't seen yet? Some psychic barrier or illusion? But she got hit. Was it a double? A trance like state that stopped her from getting hurt? She got hit again and again. Logan stopped and he could tell that she had just been doing nothing. Only continuing to refuse to use her powers.

Logan stopped hitting Kerri as he started getting weirded out by her non motion. He hit her and her body reacted, she even made sounds, but then took a breath and stood still, doing nothing to stop him. At first he had thought she was using her powers, but it was obvious that she was not.

Kerri opened her eyes and looked up at her trainer's face. "Are we done?"

Logan took a moment to answer, "You failed. We'll continue tomorrow."

Kerri nodded and left.

"Professor, she's not going to use them tomorrow either." Logan said as he stared at the door Kerri had walked through.

"Indeed. I have a feeling she will use them eventually though, even if it's not here." Came professor Xavier's voice from the speakers.

* * *

Kerri spent all of Saturday in her room. She wanted to stay away from anywhere anyone else was, thus avoiding accidentally running into Kurt or Kitty, or accidentally using her powers.

But it was so boring. So very, very boring. She decided she definitely needed something that made noise in her room. Then she decided that she'd see if the professor could find chores or small jobs or something for her to do so she could buy such things.

As she explained her plight to Xavier the next day, he assured her that he'd try to find something for her to do. "You could even get a job in the community." He suggested.

"Sorry, Professor, I don't think that's a good idea, judging on how the communities have reacted to mutants. Especially since I have trouble with a fluctuating appearance sometimes."

He had to agree with her there. So he sent her on her way, assuring her that he'd look for something.

Kerri walked toward her room, so she could grab some of the stack of books she had borrowed yesterday to return them, when someone jumped on her. "Help! He's going to get me! Help!" She was pulled around so that the person could hide behind her and laugh as they cried jokingly for help.

Kerri tried to look behind her. "What's going on?"

"He's going to get me!" Laugh, "I only told him that I knew-" Kitty was cut off as Kurt appeared with a Bamf and a cloud of dark smoke that smelled like burning sulphur.

'Don't blush,' Kerri ordered her cheeks, 'don't blush, blood stay where you belong...'

"Kitty, give zhat back! I need es!" Kurt cried at her. He stopped when he saw Kitty hiding behind Kerri, and felt kind of naked standing in the hall without his inducer on, even though he was fully clothed.

"Hey, if I put this on, turn it on, and talk with a German accent, do you think people will think I'm you?"

Kurt blushed at standing in front of Kerri, but told Kitty, "Your German accent is awful, novone vould believe zhat."

"Oh, really?! Und vhy vuld zat be? It's fien!" But Kitty's voice went from Russian to French.

Kerri just turned and looked at her with an eyebrow up.

"That bad?" Kitty asked looking up at her.

Kerri only nodded wide eyed for emphasis.

"Give es back, you had your joke," Kurt pleaded again.

Kitty laughed and pushed Kerri into Kurt and ran down the hall to the left a short ways.

Kerri shot forward suddenly and a strangled yelp came from her mouth as she ran into Kurt, knocking him down.

They landed on the ground, Kerri on top of him, and it was a mess, he could tell before he opened his eyes. He smelled something delicious right in front of his face, and he knew it was Kerri, but which part of her? A pressure was on his abdomen, above his bits thankfully, and his tail was wrapped around something.

He opened one eye and saw nothing. Well, technically it was fabric, but it was so close he couldn't see enough to tell what it was. But it smelled great...

His tail tightened on whatever it was wrapped around and Kerri gave a cry of surprise, "Oh!"

"S-sorry..." Kurt said and moved one arm, accidentally knocking Kerri's arm out from under her and making her fall on him, breast to nose.

Something so soft landed on his face, it was the source of the delicious smell for sure.

"Sorry!" he cried again and Kerri blushed harder as she felt her nipple harden. 'Oh crap. That's all I need...' She managed to get into a sitting position on top of him.

As the wonderful, soft, kinda squishy thing got farther away, Kurt could tell what it was, a breast.

The very same breast he'd day dreamed about a few days ago in class. Oh boy, now his hormones were taking off.

He may look different on the outside, but he was definitely all male on the inside. And his all male bits were excited. His hormone induced stiffness wanted to get close to her, his hands wanted to fondle that soft, wonderful smelling part of her shirt, his tail tightened around her thigh, his brain felt like it was shutting down. He closed his eyes, trying to get control of his floundering mind.

Kerri slid off of him sideways. "Um, can I have my leg back please..."

It took a great deal of concentration, but Kurt got his tail to let go, and he covered his face with his hands in embarrassment.

"So, um, see ya..." He heard Kerri's footsteps as she all but ran away.

Kitty turned around the corner and giggled, "Well, she definitely likes you without your hologram."

"You vere zhere zhe whole time?" He asked, embarrassed.

Kitty nodded with a giant teasing grin. "And you obviously liked having her on top of you."

"Schisse," Kurt sat up and covered himself, turning bright purple. {Shit}

* * *

Kerri closed her door an slid down it to the floor.

She blushed as she thought about what had just happened, Kurt's mouth had been on her breast, his mouth for crying out loud!

It was the farthest she'd ever gone, and she hadn't even meant to. She'd kissed a boy once in seventh grade, and someone had grabbed her butt once in eighth grade, but she'd never let anyone touch her chest before. And when his mouth moved against it, it had felt kind of nice... She blushed more.

She didn't know what was more embarrassing, that she'd landed on him, looking like a klutz, or liking landing on the boy she had a crush on, and knowing that he didn't like her or her landing on him, most likely.

The incident ran through her mind again; She was pushed, she tripped and tried to stay up, they fell. She landed on one elbow and her other hand, she was sitting on something, but her mind was on her sore elbow.

"Oh!" She cried out in surprise as something squeezed her thigh.

"S-sorry," she heard Kurt say below her at the same time as his arm hit her wrist and her arm folded.

Her chest was right there now. She could feel his mouth move against her breast as he said, "sorry," again, and her nipple hardened.

She blushed, 'Oh crap. That's all I need...' She flailed a little as she struggled to sit up.

She looked down at him, oh, it looked so naughty...

She realized that she'd been staring at him for a moment and he'd closed his eyes.

She felt her thigh get squeezed again. 'He's trying to get me off of him...' She slid to the side and landed on the floor, but couldn't get very far. "Um, can I have my leg back, please..."

He let go and she stood up, feeling awkward. "So, um, see ya..."


	11. An adventure?

**[AN: Here's the next chapter, I hope you enjoy it!]**

* * *

The next day as Kerri walked down the hall to lunch after History, Kitty came up to her. "Hi, Kerri!"

"Hi Kitty..." Kerri answered, trailing off.

"How are you doing today?" Kitty tried to prompt her into more speech.

"I'm fine." Kerri followed Kitty through the line and sat down, only looking at her tray.

Kurt looked up as Kerri sat down and his cheeks turned red with a blush. He remembered how his tail had wrapped around her thigh, his mouth had touched her breast...

Kurt looked down at the table and tried to think of things that weren't so sexy...

Kerri peeked up and saw Kurt studying his food, oh no, he was so embarrassed he couldn't even look at her... Kerri looked down at her food.

She ate a little bit, but she couldn't stand the pressing atmosphere for long. "I'll see you guys later, I'm not hungry..." She told them as she left.

Kurt watched her go, then hit his forehead on the table. "Ahhh! Ich bin so dumm! Ich kann nicht glauben, I..." {I'm so dumb! I can't believe I...}

Kitty put her hand on Kurt's back. "It's ok, Kurt. I'm sure that she was digging it last night..." She told him encouragingly.

"Zhen vhy did Sie run avay? Maybe zhe tail freaked her..." Kurt muttered to himself.

"No." Piotr said, out of nowhere adding to the conversation.

"What?" Kitty asked.

"I don't think it has anything to do with your tail." He answered.

"Vhat?" Kurt looked up at him.

"She has a tail too."

Kitty and Kurt looked at each other, then back at Piotr, "No," they said, disbelievingly.

"I've seen it." He told them. "She doesn't want you to know."

"I've never seen it..." Kitty said, wonderingly.

"Me niezher..." Kurt muttered thoughtfully, and had to admit that maybe he had looked at Kerri's butt more than he pretended not to.

* * *

When Kerri got to the danger room, Logan informed her that they were going back to basic battle moves.

After class she went to her room and avoided everyone. It went this way the rest of the week, although she did spend more time at the lunch table as she got better at ignoring the awkwardness and putting it behind her.

And speaking about her behind, she was sure that she'd felt someone staring at it, but she never caught anyone in the act.

Kitty asked her again that Friday, "Do you want to come with us to the mall this Saturday?"

"No, thank you." Kerri answered, "I've got a lot of homework this weekend."

"Ok, but it'll be more fun with us." Kitty told her.

"Nein, it vill not," Kurt told her, "you run around and try on clothes, and look at stuff vhile Piotr and I valk around behind you."

Kitty looked at him meaningfully. "Maybe it would be more fun if you brought a girlfriend..."

Kurt got the hint, it couldn't be clearer, he thought. He turned to Kerri, but she was standing up.

"Have fun this weekend. I'll see you guys later." She left before Kurt could say anything to her.

"Good going, Kitty." He said as he turned back to his food.

Kitty sighed and rolled her eyes. "I don't think she knew I was talking about her."

Kurt ate his food, could it be that Kerri couldn't tell that he liked her? But she always seemed to catch on pretty fast to other things...

Maybe she just really didn't like him.

* * *

Kerri made it through the next week and Kitty talked about all the cool things she wanted to do for her birthday, and as she expected, on Friday Kitty asked again, "Kerri, please come with us to the mall this weekend."

Kerri looked up at her and asked teasingly, "Kitty, don't you go anywhere other than the mall?"

Kitty giggled, "Why? They have everything there! Are you coming?"

Kerri looked back at her food. "I don't think so."

Kitty looked at Kurt and kicked his foot under the table. Kurt turned to Kerri. "Um, Kerri," she looked up at him, and he could see the walls she was trying to build in her eyes. He froze up and Kerri went back to her food.

Kitty kicked his foot again, but as Kurt turned to Kerri again, the bell rang.

After the next week Kerri was expecting more of the same, Kitty was planning her birthday outing on Saturday, even though her birthday was before that, that was just the best time to go, and she expected that Kitty would ask her to go. It would be nice, but she didn't think she could be there yet without staring at Kurt wistfully.

Man, she liked him, and she knew he didn't like her, but there was always a little part in her mind, 'maybe he'll like me if...' But she thought that was stupid. Either he liked her or he didn't.

* * *

Professor Xavier sat at his desk, holding a paper as he talked to Storm, "It's been confirmed. It is her mother."

Ororo sighed, "But are you sure she even wants to see her? She was living in an ally. What kind of mother would let that happen?"

"Let us not forget, Ororo, that sometimes people are frightened and don't know how to handle things."

"But to let your only child live in an ally?! Charles, you must see that-" She broke out.

"Ororo, we must always remember that things happen and that they are not always under our control." He interrupted, chidingly.

She sighed, "I suppose you're right. So when are you going to tell her?"

"Friday, the ticket is for Saturday afternoon." He answered.

"And what if she doesn't take it?"

"She will. And even if she does not, she will still go."

"And when are you going to tell him?"

* * *

It was Friday, and things were getting tense for Kerri again; 'How do you tell the girl that you hang out with,' She supposed friend was the word, 'that you don't want to go to her birthday party because the guy you like is going to be there, especially if you don't want to tell her that you like that guy. And especially if that guy is her friend too.'

Ororo caught her as she walked toward her fourth period history class. "Professor Xavier needs to have a word with you."

Kerri looked up from the floor at her. "I've been doing my homework." She said, "Since my schedule was changed, I haven't been messing around."

Ororo looked at the girl and half wanted to laugh, but the other half knew what the news was. "Don't worry, that's not what he wants to talk to you about."

Kerri arrived in front of Xavier's door and it opened. Ororo made sure she went in and said goodbye.

Kerri was nervous as she walked up to the desk and sat in a chair.

This was weird. He had a look about him as though he'd just been harassed, and Kerri wasn't sure what was going on.

"Miss Smith," She didn't even smile, "I have some news for you." He continued, "There has been word of an incident."

Kerri's eyes widened and her face paled. Was he talking about her falling on Kurt? That wasn't even her fault, she'd been pushed. But relief from that worry was soon coming.

"We've received word that your mother is in the hospital. She seems to be seriously ill."

New worry spread across her face, she felt her tail start trying to press out, her head tingled where her ears would appear. She took a breath and composed herself. "I see."

"I understand that you may wish to see your mother, and I can arrange to have you excused from classes for a week for you to go visit her."

She continued to look at the Professor. "I- I don't know how I'd get there..."

He took out a paper ticket and laid it on the edge of his desk, where she could easily reach it. "I've taken the liberty of purchasing you a Greyhound bus ticket, round trip."

Kerri laid her arms, folded, on the edge of his desk and put her head down. She thought back on how her life had been. She thought she'd be bitter, but she always tried to let it go whenever she thought about it. She could feel the ticket under her hand. She liked it here. Did she want to go? She could come back. She didn't have to leave forever.

She sighed, her mother was her mother, but she didn't want professor Xavier to think he had control over her. That would be worse. But she couldn't not go, what if her mom died, and she'd never gone to see her? She could leave and never come back. That didn't sit quite right, but it might be the way to go.

She looked up, standing and making her face look angry. "What if I don't want to go see her? What if she did such horrible things to me that I hate her? That I could never forgive her?!" Kerri turned around and stormed out of the room.

Charles sat, looking slightly surprised, but then smiled as he looked to the spot where he had set the ticket.

It was gone.

* * *

Kerri went to lunch after she had waited for history to be over. She saw Kitty standing by the doors, waiting for her. She laughed internally. She did that every day, it's like Kitty thought she'd never come sit by them if she didn't drag her over. But every day she let herself be dragged, and today was no different.

As they sat down at the table and the normal babble went on, Kerri was lost in thought. Planning what she needed to do.

"Kerri!" A voice suddenly got through her thoughts.

Her head jerked up "Hmmm?"

Kitty laughed. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Kerri denied.

"So are you going to come with us to the zoo tomorrow or not? Please say you will, please?" Kitty begged.

"Sorry," Kerri apologized first, "I have something I have to do this weekend. It's really important."

"Ok, if it's really important, I guess." Kitty allowed. "What's more important than my birthday, anyway?"

"Just personal business." She brushed off.

* * *

Kerri woke up the next day and started on her plan. She got her backpack from her closet and packed some of her favorite clothes, her hygiene essentials, a blanket, and some fruit that she'd gathered from the kitchen.

She spent most of the morning gathering, gathering a watch from the lost and found, another book from the library, and of course the easily packable fruit. After that she put some clothes together, she didn't want to look homeless or like a child, but she also didn't want to stand out, and she wanted her clothes to be baggy enough that no one looked at her and got any ideas.

She went down stairs and ate an early lunch then went back to her room and wrote a note, in case she didn't come back. Then at eleven she put on her boots, took her pack, and headed downstairs.

She looked to make sure no one was around before slipping out the door and heading to the bus station.

* * *

Logan asked Charles, "Why can't we just fly her there in the jet? It's only in the next state."

"Because, she needs the time, and I think we could speed up the process of her having someone to trust in the Danger room," the Professor answered.

"Who are we going to get, and why do you think she'll trust them?" Logan asked gruffly.

"He should be here any minute, and Dr. McCoy and professor Monroe seem to think he's the only person for the job." He answered as he looked at the clock.

The door to the office opened and Ororo poked her head in, "He's here."

Kurt was ushered into the office and the door was closed behind him. "Um, hello professors." He greeted nervously.

Professor Xavier smiled. "Hello Kurt. First of all, don't worry, I've only asked you here to help me with something..."

* * *

The wind rushed through Kurt's hair as he and Logan zoomed down the streets on Logan's motorcycle. "Zhis is so cool!" He called above the wind.

"Yeah, but don't forget what we're doing." Logan called back, "You still have your ticket, right?"

"Of course!" Kurt answered.

They pulled into the parking lot of the bus station. "Remember, stay low until they call final boarding so she doesn't see you coming. And if she attacks you, remember, restrain, not attack, if you look like you're helping, people won't bother you. You have the money?" Kurt nodded, shifting his bag on his shoulder. "You have your ticket?" He nodded again. "Ok. Go on then." Kurt waved and started walking away down the walkway.

"Hey, Elf," Kurt paused and turned back around, "watch her, make sure she's safe."

"Ok, Logan, don't vorry." Kurt called out to the dangerous looking, leather and denim clad man on the motorcycle.

"And if you come back without her I'll," but Kurt didn't hear what Logan would do because the platform speaker announced over him. He had a feeling it was something he wouldn't enjoy, though.

* * *

Kerri looked at her new watch, it was one fifteen. She'd better hurry and grab a seat before the bus took off. She walked down the isle and found a row of two empty seats to sit in. She took the window seat and put her bag on her lap, digging for the book she was reading.

She was just pulling it out of her bag when a guy wearing flashy, low riding pants and a polo shirt under his jacket came up and asked her suavely, "Can I sit here?"

She looked up and tried to sound pleasant when she told him, "Sorry, I'm saving this spot for someone else."

"Are you sure you're not saving it for me?" He tried again.

Kerri looked around, seriously? She was the only girl this guy's approximate age? He couldn't find someone else to hit on? "Sorry, I'm saving it for my friend. Hopefully they don't miss the bus." She looked at her watch.

"Ok, if you're sure." The guy said, then took the seat across the isle from her, still giving her suave smiles.

Kerri shuddered internally and started reading her book.

She was harassed once more by a guy that she was sure was a pedophile or something.

'I swear, if another creepy guy comes over here...' She thought to herself as a third man walked down the isle, giving her the eye.

"FINAL BOARDING CALL FOR GREYHOUND BUS NUMBER 503 ENROUT TO PARAGON PENNSYLVANIA." She could hear the voice over the speakers outside the bus.

A few stragglers came and sat down, some passing her, some sitting before they got to her row.

Then one person, a guy, sat next to her, seeming tense.

She turned to look at him, and had to do a double take. "Kurt?!" she asked wide eyed.

"Ja." He answered, apprehensively.

"What are you doing here?" She asked as the bus doors let out a air compression noise and closed.

"Professor Xavier vanted me to come vizh you." He answered and put his bag on the ground.

"What if I don't want you to come with me?" Kerri asked.

"Too bad, because zhe bus has already left." Kurt told her.

Kerri looked out the window and saw the bus station shrink behind them. Great, now she was on the bus with the guy she liked, who didn't like her, and who she didn't think she could spend time with without wishing he would kiss her. And she already wished he'd kiss her. The image was in her mind and she shook her head to get rid of it.

Blushing, Kerri ignored Kurt by turning back to her book.

* * *

Kurt watched Kerri as they rode on the bus. This ride was taking forever. It had already been four hours and they weren't scheduled to stop for another hour. To make things worse, he hadn't thought to bring a book or anything, like Kerri had, and staring at trees had gotten old hours ago.

"Kerri, I'm bored." Kurt turned to Kerri and whined a little.

Kerri continued reading. "You should've thought of that before you got on the bus and followed me."

Kurt closed his eyes and let his mind wander. He thought of turning and kissing Kerri, pulling her close and maybe going for her chest. Kurt's eyes shot open and he glanced at Kerri out of the corner of his eye.

She was still wrapped up in her book, and hadn't noticed him having obscene thoughts.

Kurt debated for a moment, then closed his eyes again.

Kerri looked at Kurt out of the corner of her eye. She saw that he had a big grin on his face and his eyes were closed. She wondered what he was thinking about, or who. She wished it could be her...

His stomach growled and she looked away quickly, a blush creeping onto her cheeks.

Kurt had his hand on Kerri's butt, pulling her even closer, he kissed her neck and- GURGGLE. His stomach growled. Kurt opened his eyes and looked over at Kerri, blushing. He sat up and looked out the window again, trying to forget about food. His stomach growled again and he blushed harder.

Kerri peeked over at Kurt. He was staring out of the window across the bus, obviously ignoring his growling stomach. Kerri sighed and dug into her bag, finding an orange.

She couldn't just let him starve. For one, she really liked him, even if he didn't like her, and two, she'd been there, starving so much that you'd eat anything. Even garbage, even cat food.

"Here." She said, handing him the orange.

Kurt looked over at her, holding out an orange without looking at him. "You have food?" He asked. He hadn't even thought of that.

"Yeah, what do you think you're going to eat when you're wandering around?" She asked, turning to look at him.

"Um, I zhoght we'd be able to stop or somezhing." Kurt admitted.

Kerri looked at her watch. "Not for another fifteen minutes, and it'll be a gas stop, probably, and you won't want to eat anything there, unless you don't mind food poisoning." She looked out the window. "Don't want to use the bathroom either."

Kurt stopped peeling the orange and looked at her. He'd forgotten that she'd lived on the streets before. He continued to eat the orange thankfully, and thought about how hard it must have been for Kerri.


	12. title too long

**[AN: Lol, this chapter title was so long they wouldn't let me put it all on there, but it's, The beginning of the end of the horrible life that was. I know that a lot of people know that wunderbar is wonderful because that's how Kurt says it all the time, but Kerri learned German from her dad, who learned it from his dad, who learned it from... who came over from Germany, lol. So her vocabulary is a little out dated and it can be misunderstood sometimes, as is true for most old people. Also she has bad grammar because she has mostly spoken half German half English, because she's not completely fluent, as she already told Kurt. Wunderlich actually means these days (according to Google translate); strange, then whimsical, then odd, then wondrous (wonderful), then fantastic/fantastical, then bizarre, so it shows you how odd she might sound sometimes lol. But don't worry, I'll translate to what she meant.]**

* * *

Kurt left the bathroom at the truck stop and saw Kerri standing by a rack of movies that proclaimed, "Bargain DVDs! Only 5.99!"

He took a step closer and saw the guy who had been across the isle from him talking to her. She didn't look very excited to talk to him though. Kurt crept closer through the rows of over priced junk food and got close enough to over hear what they were saying.

"So, you really were saving that seat, huh?" The guy who still hadn't found anyone else to hit on asked her.

Kerri sighed. "Yep. Looks that way," she finished under her breath, trying to ignore him.

"So, how long have you known him?" Asked the guy who couldn't take the hint to take a hike.

"For a while." She evaded.

"A long while?" He asked again.

"A few months." She answered.

"So, is he, like, your boyfriend?" He asked, with a look that was definitely trying to hint at the question of something dirty in the bathroom between them.

Kerri's eyes closed and she shuddered internally. "Yes." She quickly told him.

"What was that?" He asked, getting a little closer.

"Yes, he is my boyfriend." She said again. She felt a little guilty, using Kurt to make this creep leave her alone, especially since he didn't like her like that, but she did _not_ want this guy following her anywhere, and she figured that Kurt wouldn't find out.

Kurt was standing behind a rack when he heard Kerri tell the guy, "Yes, he is my boyfriend." His stomach flipped and his heart raced. Was she saying that because she really liked him? Or did she say that to make this guy leave her alone?

He found he didn't really care when the guy got a little closer and said to Kerri, "He's not here right now," and gave her a leering look.

Kerri took a step back. "Uh, my boyfriend..."

Kurt stepped out and wrapped his arms around Kerri, pulling her close. "Mein Hertz! Da bist du ja! I'm sorry I missed you vhile I vas in zhe bazhroom! Who are you talking to?" {my heart! there you are!}

Kerri jumped, then tried to relax and look natural, but inside she was having a mini freak out. Kurt was squeezing her close. He felt so strong, and he smelled so good, even though she could smell the sweat from hours on the bus on him. "Um..."

"So, she's your..." The guy trailed off to him questioningly.

"Ja, Sie ist mir." Kurt told him, and his heart felt like it was swelling when he said that, but then he remembered that it wasn't true, and his heart sank a little.

Kerri almost gasped and tried to keep her cool.

Even through her slow brain, that was one of the most easily translatable sentences in the world.

"Sie ist mir," it echoed in her head, and once more, translated, "she is mine," her heart felt like it nearly exploded.

She pushed away from him enough to gain back a few braincells. "Ja, wunderlich." Then because her brain couldn't conjugate enough to say let's go, she just said, "gehen," and pushed Kurt in the direction of the bus. {Yeah, wonderful. go}

As they sat back down on the bus Kerri pulled her hood up over the head and looked out the window.

Kurt sat next to Kerri and couldn't help blushing. He'd voiced his desires. To some stranger. In front of Kerri. And she hadn't said anything to address it. Sounded like rejection to him, no matter what Kitty said.

* * *

It was a few more hours before they arrived at the bus station, and the time had passed slowly for Kurt, even though he had two new past times. One was trying to catch the guy across the isle with the flashy pants looking at Kerri, and glaring at him if he saw him even look like he was looking in their direction, and the other was staring at Kerri as she held her backpack on her lap and laid her head on top of it. He wondered if she was asleep or not, but every little while she opened her eyes and looked out the window.

At eleven, finally, they pulled into the bus station, though, and everyone got up to get out as fast as possible, so Kurt got up too, but Kerri grabbed his sleeve and pulled him back down.

"Vhat's up?" He asked her as she put her book into her bag.

"We're waiting." She said, "we won't be able to go to the hospital tonight, so we need to find somewhere to sleep."

After the last person was walking from the back Kerri stood up. "Ok, let's go."

They were the last ones off the bus, and Kurt turned to her. "I'll be right back," he told her.

Kerri nodded and stood still, looking around for somewhere to sleep. She was agitated that the station was closed and they couldn't sleep on the benches, it was way too cold to sleep outside tonight, maybe over under the bushes, she had her blanket, and if Kurt had one too, or they could huddle close together...

Kerri blushed at that thought.

The guy with the polo shirt and flashy pants put his hand on her shoulder. "Hey, where'd your boyfriend go?" He asked with a smile.

Kerri turned and felt a shiver run down her back. Blegh.

"He went to the bathroom." She pulled out of the air.

"So, does that mean you need a ride, somewhere?" He asked with innuendo and a sleazy smile.

Kerri stood her ground and stared him down. "No, we're fine."

"Aw, come on, I could take you anywhere you need to go," he said, as he tried to herd her backwards, against the bus.

Kerri stayed where she was and clenched her jaw. "I don't need someone like you, when I have," she stopped talking as she felt a hand on her shoulder, and felt that it had three fingers.

"Come on, Kerri, I found a place." Kurt told her, as he glared at this guy.

They walked away and headed off down the street. Kerri was walking behind Kurt, holding onto his sleeve so she didn't get lost as she watched behind them, for anyone following them, or for somewhere to sleep. "Where are we going?" She finally asked.

"To zhis motel I asked zhe bus driver about." He answered. He was blushing and smiling, thinking it was cute that she was holding onto his sleeve.

"Um... I don't have any money..." She admitted to him, letting go of his sleeve and turning to follow him.

"It's ok, zhe Professor gave me some money." Kurt told her as they walked up to the motel and he opened the door. He stopped. "Vere," then turned and asked her, "vere did you zhink ve vere going to sleep?"

Kerri turned away, feeling stupid. She mumbled something about somewhere that was warm.

Kurt went to go check in, while Kerri stayed outside, pacing, "I can't believe..." she quietly yelled at herself, "...look so stupid, no wonder he doesn't like me."

Kurt walked up to her. "Ok, he said it's over zhere."

They walked to the room and Kerri stopped, realizing something. "Wait, there's only one room?"

"Don't vorry!" Kurt quickly tried to put her at ease, "I made sure zhat zhere vere two beds!"

Kerri stared at him. She was going to sleep in the same room as Kurt, the boy she liked. She tried to squash the thought, it didn't matter if she liked him, he didn't like her, so she needed to let it go.

But she still felt excited, nervous, and a little naughty about it.

Kurt opened the door and they both walked in, Kurt into the middle of the room, and Kerri just inside to lock all three of the locks on the door and pull the curtains closed, making sure that you couldn't see through them.

"Vell, it's ok." Kurt decided.

It had a small, open space with two beds separated by a wide nightstand, there was a small tv stand with a thirteen inch color tv, and a bathroom door across the room from him.

Kurt remembered Kerri's worry of a second ago. "Um," he turned to her, "do, you, um, vant to put up a sheet or somzhing?" He kinda hoped that the answer was no.

"Why? They're just pajamas." Her head whipped from the window to him, "you did bring pajamas, didn't you?"

"Ja, I have some right here." He turned and put his bag on the bed. His stomach growled again.

Kerri went over and pulled a banana, an apple, and two oranges out of her bag, placing them on his bed. "Pick two." She told him.

He looked up at her as she turned back to her bed, obviously claiming the one nearer the door.

Kurt chose two pieces of fruit and Kerri took the other two. "Do you vant to take a shower first?" Kurt asked innocently, but then his head was filled with thoughts of Kerri in the shower. He was grateful that she wasn't looking at him.

"You can go first. I'll probably use up all the hot water." She told him, reading as she ate, or, pretending to read, really.

"Ok. I'll go do zhat, zhen." Kurt got to the bathroom, found two bath towels that felt clean, a hand towel and washcloth hanging by the sink, a tiny bar of soap, and a pump hand soap. He turned back around and asked Kerri, "Ah, do you have some shampoo? Or soap?"

Kerri looked up. "No." She didn't want to tell him that it was that or food. She walked into the bathroom, "Use the bar of soap, I'll use the hand soap. We can get shampoo tomorrow." She turned around and went back to reading on the bed.

Kurt went into the bathroom, and got into the shower, leaving his inducer on the sink. As he washed himself he realized that he'd forgotten his pajamas. He sighed, but finished washing himself with the tiny bar of soap. When he got out, he debated putting his inducer back on. He did, though and wrapped a towel around his waist, before opening the door a crack and calling out, blushing, "Kerri, I, um... Forgot my pajamas... Please don't look."

"Ok, just a sec." She walked over to the door and turned toward the wall, closing and covering her eyes. "Ok, I'm not looking, you can come out."

Kurt looked out and walked out past her, going over to his bed.

Kerri felt like she almost couldn't help but peek. She was disappointed when she saw his hologram. 'But, it's kinda cute too...' She thought to herself, hurrying into the bathroom and closing the door so he wouldn't notice her blush.

Kurt felt a little down that Kerri hadn't peeked at him, but, he did ask her not to. He took off his inducer, he didn't want to sleep in it, and his wrist was still wet, and he didn't want to fry it. He pulled on his pajama pants and grabbed his shirt.

Kerri got her hair up and her shirt half way over her head before she noticed that she'd forgotten the pajamas, and panties she'd hidden in them, she'd folded neatly and placed on the bed. At least she wasn't naked or anything, she'd just go grab them.

She opened the door a crack, making sure that her shirt was all the way down, then looked up. And she swore her breath stopped for a moment.

Kurt was standing with his back to her, he had on a pair of pajama pants, pulled up, with a hole so his tail could poke through, and his arms were above his head, putting on a shirt, so she could admire his muscled back. And the best part is that he had his inducer off, so he was his blue fuzzy self.

Her head tilted and a funny smile spread across her face. Her breath sped up a little and she swayed on her feet. She blinked and came to her senses. 'Whoa, did I just swoon?' She asked herself, incredulously. She felt the need to fan her face.

'Wow, I better let him know I'm here, and stop being creepy...' She made a show of having just opened the door, walking across to her bed. "Sorry, just forgot my stuff." She turned around and went back into the bathroom without looking at him.

Kurt blushed. 'Heilige Mutter, did she just see me... Nein,' he thought, 'no vay.' {Holy Mother}

Kerri put the hand towel on the floor of the shower and sat down, letting the spray hit her, washing away the smell of travel, and trying to let it wash the stress off of her shoulders.

She thought about the situation she was in. Her mom was in the hospital, she hoped that she was ok, but she didn't know how she'd react to seeing her, after all, the first time she'd seen her daughter shift appearance had been when Kerri's stepfather had been having another "Lecture" at her, just an excuse to yell at her and pretend that it was to help her to be a better person, really.

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

After hours of being yelled at, Kerri got agitated and her tail started flicking back and forth in annoyance. Her mother saw it and screamed. Kerri turned around, looking for what was wrong, and saw her mom staring at her, or, behind her.

She turned back around and saw an evil looking gleam in her stepfather's eye. "So, you're a mutie, huh?" Kerri was silent out of habit, but her lungs started pumping harder. "I thought the counselor was just on crack, or something. No way someone as worthless as you could do anything more than be crack whore. But congratulations, you sunk even lower. A mutie crack whore." He used the most racist term he could think of for her.

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Kerri put her head down on her knees and cried. Her mom had looked so terrified.

She only let herself cry for a minute, it was something she didn't usually afford herself, but she thought she needed to let off some stress, after all, she was going to have to deal with the problem tomorrow, and tonight, she was going to sleep in the same room as the guy she liked, and who didn't like her. All she needed was to send him screaming bloody murder out into the street by turning into a monster in her sleep. "Your dreams can only hurt you if some else is around, so don't be around anyone," she repeated to herself, but that wasn't an option tonight.

She made sure she rinsed off all the soap and stepped out to get dressed, freezing for a moment before she realized that the voices she heard in the other room was the tv.

Kurt laid on his bed and turned the tv on, then pulled some socks on over his now dry feet.

He flipped through the channels, but his mind kept drifting to Kerri in the shower. He had a silly grin on his face, but it quickly left when he heard the water turn off. After a few minutes, Kerri opened the bathroom door and walked across the room to her bed, braiding her hair as she walked.

Kurt tried not to look like he was looking at her, as he watched her cross the room. She had on a pair of dark, fuzzy pajama pants on with a pattern of stars, moons, and clouds, and a white tank top that, while not skin tight, was still a little tight, and he couldn't see a bra strap on her shoulder. He didn't know why that thought made his cheeks flush and his thoughts start slipping to the gutter, but he looked back to the tv quickly and tried to ignore them.

Kerri pulled down the blankets on her bed and kneeled on top of it, doing a strange ritual; she put her backpack on the side away from him at the head of the bed, untucked all the bedding, then she got her hair and nervously started unbraiding and rebraiding it. "Um, Kurt..."

"Ja?" He asked, looking back to the tv and trying to act like he hadn't been staring at her back.

"If, if I... I mean, it's not like I think you're going to come attack me, or anything... Whatever happens, just don't get close to me tonight, ok?" She tripped over her words, trying to warn him to stay away.

"Ja, ok..." Kurt assured her. 'Vhat does she zhink vould happen?' He wondered to himself as he turned off the light and got under his covers. He got comfortable and looked over at Kerri. She had gotten under the blankets, facing away from him. He almost wished she haden't, he kind of wondered what her face looked like without all the worry of the world. Her face had been so stressed since they'd gotten back onto the bus from that stop at the truck stop. He turned over and tried to get to sleep, wishing there was something he could do to make Kerri feel better.

* * *

Kerri walked into the hospital room that her mother was in. "Hi mom." She said, smiling at her.

Kerri's mother looked at her and started talking, but Kerri couldn't seem to hear what she was saying. She tried to listen harder. "What?" She asked.

Her mother started screaming and paging the nurse. Kerri was so confused, she didn't know what was going on, they had been having a normal conversation, and suddenly her mom was freaking out.

She felt a tingling and looked over into a mirror. She almost screamed, she was green or brown, she couldn't tell, her mouth was huge, like an alligator, complete with the large sharp teeth, her back was hunched, her eyes looked like black pits, and there were fins, or spikes, or something of the like poking out of her back along her spine. She didn't know how she could tell this, because the image in the mirror was distorted, but somehow, she knew that's how she looked. She started screaming.

Kurt was woken up by a yell. He sat up and looked around. It took him a second to remember where he was, through his sleepy brain.

He looked over at Kerri to see if she was ok. She had kicked off the blankets and was turned away from him, curled up and holding herself tight. Something was waving through the air by her hips in distressed patterns. "Es, dass ein Schwanz?" He mumbled to himself. {Is that a tail?}

Kerri was muttering something in her sleep, but Kurt couldn't tell what it was.

Suddenly Kerri let out a strangled scream and Kurt jumped out of the bed to go to her, but tripped on the blankets around his feet, landing on his face on the floor in between the beds, "Uff."

Something soft touched his face and he grabbed it, it felt soft, like freshly washed hair and was the same color as the hair on Kerri's head. It whipped out of his hand and waved through the air as Kerri screamed again.

Kurt got out from the tangle of blankets, grabbing Kerri and pulling her over to him. "Kerri!"

He was glad of his reflexes when he subconsciously jumped back and grabbed Kerri's hand as it shot out, attacking him in defense, then looked down at her troubled, sleep hazed eyes.

Kerri blinked and came to the present. She ripped her hand out of Kurt's grip and rolled away, pulling the blankets off the bed with her and wrapping herself up so he couldn't see her in the bundle of blankets on the floor.

Kurt stayed where he was, leaning on the edge of the bed, and heard Kerri chanting to herself; "Normal, normal, normal, you're normal. Don't. Stop. Don't. Don't. You're normal. Stop. Stop. Don't think of that, you're normal. Stop."

"Are you ok, Kerri?" He asked, hesitantly.

"Yes, I'm fine. It was just a nightmare. I'm sorry if I bothered you." She said from the blanket pile on the floor. Her mind reeled, had she changed? She felt around, nope, still fully human. But now, for sure, Kurt thought that she was a freak.

* * *

Kurt woke up in the morning and looked to Kerri's bed. She was still on the floor with the blankets.

Kurt got up and went into the bathroom, taking his things to brush his teeth and get ready for the day. He put toothpaste on his brush and looked up, seeing himself, and part of his blue skin through his t shirt. He pulled it out and checked it, seeing four long tears across the front. She must have been very scared.

Kerri poked her head above the edge of her bed and looked around when she woke up. She didn't see Kurt anywhere, had he left while she was asleep? If she had freaked him out, it would make sense.

She got up and put the blankets back onto the bed. She grabbed her back pack and stared digging for clean clothes and her hygiene kit. The bathroom door opened and she looked up, startled, like a deer in the headlights.

Kurt walked out of the bathroom and saw Kerri standing over her bed, looking back at him like a deer in the headlights. Her hair, while still braided, looked untamed, she didn't look like she'd had a good night's sleep in days, she had circles under her eyes, and the stress was showing in her posture as well as on her face. "Uh, zhe bazhroom's free." He said to break the silence.

Kurt's voice broke the spell over Kerri, and she got her stuff and went into the bathroom. She looked up into her face in the mirror, half worried that she'd see something awful, but the only awful thing in the mirror was her messy reflection. 'Holy cow, I'm surprised he didn't run away.' She thought to herself as she got ready for the day.

* * *

As the two walked through the parking lot of the hospital, Kerri suddenly stopped and grabbed Kurt's arm, bringing him to a stop. "Vhat's wrong?" He asked when he turned to see her staring at a large, yellow truck. He saw her lips moving, but didn't hear her. "Vas?" he asked.

"That's his truck..." She repeated, trailing off. An evil grin spread over her face and she let go of Kurt's arm, walking over to the truck and climbing into the back, then up onto the roof of the cab.

"Vhat are you doing?" Kurt asked, confused.

"Keying it." Kerri replied.

Kurt looked startled. "Vhat?"

She looked back down to him. "It's when you take a key-"

"I know vhat keying is, but how do you know zhat's his truck?" Kurt cut her off.

"It has the same licence plate." Kerri told him, getting out a pen and trying to scribble on the roof until the paint came off.

"Kerri, somevone is coming," Kurt whisper called to her.

Kerri looked up. "Crap." She slid down and hid in the truck bed, because he was too close for her to get away unseen.

The man, a tall semi muscled man wearing a red t shirt, a pair of khaki pants, and a bluetooth, with a slightly balding head and a goatee came towards the truck. Kurt was unsure of what to do, or where to go, and stood there, frozen, a short distance away, staring at the truck.

As the man got closer he noticed Kurt and called out to him, "Hey, what are you doing to my truck?!"

"N-nozhing," Kurt answered, startled.

"Well, then, why the hell are you standing there, staring at it?!" He yelled, and Kurt could see a vein in his neck bulge.

"Uh, I'm not, I'm just vaiting for my friend..." Kurt backed up a step.

"You mean your drug dealer?! Stay the hell away from my truck! Damn tourists!" He yelled and turned, getting into the cab of the truck.

Kurt's eyes were open to maximum capacity. Kerri had lived with that guy? No wonder she kept to herself and was so quiet all the time.

He saw Kerri slip over the back of the tailgate and lay along the bumper, one foot and one hand holding onto the cracks in the gate and the other hand holding onto the truck body above the wheel. "Kerri, Kerri, get down." He whispered to her, but the truck had started and it shot backward so fast that Kurt jumped back in case he was going to get hit. Kerri let go and dropped off the bumper as the truck paused before revving and zooming out of the parking lot.

Kerri crept out from in between the cars she'd quickly hid behind.

"Alle Dinge anstandig," Kurt looked over at her, "Zhat vas your fazher?" {All things decent}

"Stepfather." She said with a hard edge in her voice, watching the showy yellow truck speed off down the road. "My dad loved me."

"Vhat happened to him?" He asked, watching her hard face. At least the stress creases had left for the time being.

"He died." She turned and walked toward the building. "Come on."


	13. Let it all out

**[AN: I will stall you becuse I can! lol, anyway, here's another one, hope you enjoy it.]**

* * *

Kerri and Kurt sat at the McDonalds across the street from the hospital.

Kurt was shoving burgers into his mouth. "Mmm, zhis is gut!"

Kerri muttered, "Not as good as Arctic Circle..." as she stared out the window at the hospital and played with the straw in her drink. She couldn't get it out of her head. She was wussing out of going in to see her mom. She looked back across the table at Kurt. At least he was happy, shoveling food into his face like he hadn't eaten in days.

"Are you going to finish your fries?" He asked her, staring at them.

She pushed them to him and a smile came over her face, so she turned back to the window. He was so cute, even though he did have his hologram on. "Come on, let's go get some shampoo." She said when Kurt had finished her fries.

Kurt followed Kerri to the dollar store and they spent twenty dollars on soaps and food.

As they were walking back to the motel, they passed a group of preppy girls all dressed in matching pink outfits coming out of a shoe shop. "Like, Oh Em Gee!" they all laughed at what ever their conversation was and walked past them.

Kurt noticed that Kerri shrugged away from them, closer to him, as they passed and he looked at her face. She had a look of distaste plastered there, and her eyes were pointing in the direction the girls had past, but she wasn't turned, looking at them. "People you know?" He asked.

Kerri looked back to Kurt then quickly away. "Yeah."

Kurt couldn't imagined that she'd hang out with those girls, but he still couldn't say that he knew a lot about her. As they passed the shoe store, he noticed that Kerri was lagging behind. He turned to try and see where she was.

She was paused, looking into the window of the shop at a pair of boots. They were tall, black, soft looking, and flat heeled, like a pirate would wear. Kurt smiled, thinking of his days at the circus, dressed up and swinging through the air. The swashbuckling hero was always his favorite character. The good guy that always saved, then got the girl.

Kerri turned and caught up to him. "Sorry," she told him, continuing to walk.

He peeked at the "sale" price and his jaw dropped. "Wow."

Kerri turned back and saw him. "Yeah, that's why I'll never have a pair. Maybe when they go on clearance."

They got back to the motel room and Kerri took a shower, finally able to wash her dirty hair. She stood in the hot water until it turned cold and let the world run by her and take care of its self.

Kurt sat on his bed against the headboard holding his pillow, with the tv on, but his mind kept wandering to Kerri in the shower. He closed his eyes for a moment, and suddenly, Kerri was crawling onto the bed towards him. "Oh, Kurt, what are you doing?" She asked in a sexy voice. A big, somewhat guilty grin appeared on his lips. "Nozhing..." He said back, in what he hoped was a sexy voice. Kerri crawled up his legs toward him, fluttering her eyelashes, and a big devilish grin grew on his face.

Kurt heard the bathroom doorknob jiggle, his eyes shot open and he pulled the pillow closer to himself guiltily as he realized that his hormones were playing with him again.

Kerri walked out of the bathroom, again braiding her hair, and saw Kurt watching Wheel of Fortune. "Have you guessed any right yet?" She asked, sitting on the edge of her bed.

"Vas?" Kurt looked over at her.

"You don't play with the game?" She asked as she looked at the screen. "Before and after..."

_RA_TI_E

_A_ES

_ER_E_T

STRAN_ERS

"I'm guessing an F." She told him.

The lady guessed G. "Yes, there's one G." The last word was strangers.

Kerri let out a "Hm," and laid down on her stomach, facing the tv.

Kurt looked over at her. "Vhat?"

"I know the answer," She answered and put her head down on her hands, rolling her shoulders.

Kurt watched her and felt the urge to go over and rub her shoulders. After all, what girl didn't want a guy they didn't like to come touch them. His shoulders drooped and he looked back to the screen. "Vas ist es?" {what is it}

"I'm not telling," she said as she rolled her shoulders. 'Maybe I should ask Kurt to rub...' She blushed and pressed her face into her hands. 'Why would he do that,' she thought, 'he doesn't like me. Well, I guess he is a guy... And they do think about sex a lot, I've heard...' She sighed, she definitely didn't want to loose her virginity in this nasty motel, or just because she could, even though it was with the boy she liked.

"Come on, tell me?" He asked, trying to sound playful, like he normally would.

"Ich vill nicht." Kerri told him, also trying to be playful, but it came out strange to her. 'Such a spaz...' She thought to herself. {I don't wanna}

The silence stretched out, and Kurt tried to break it. "So, are you going to see your mozher tomorrow?"

Kerri was silent for a moment, then changed the subject and turned to Kurt. "What's your mom like?"

"Uh," Kurt felt awkward, but answered her, "Vell, my real Mutter, dropped me off, of a vaterfall..." Kerri's eyebrows raised, and Kurt hurried on, "but Margali, my foster Mutter, found me und took care of me. Sie vas a great Mutter."

Kerri told him. "My mom was like the second one until I was nine. Then she turned into the first one."

Kurt didn't know what to say to that, so he didn't say anything.

"What did your mom do?" Kerri asked to break the silence.

"Vell, sie vas a fortune teller at zhe circus." Kurt told her, worrying about her reaction, but she just looked at him waiting for him to continue, "and, vhen sie took me home..." Kerri was still listening attentively, "she had somevone teach me how to do acrobatics." A small smile appeared on Kerri's lips.

Kurt saw the smile and his heart squeezed. She was smiling, finally, after a whole day of looking like she was on the verge of breaking down, she was smiling.

And it was because he'd told her something about his mother. Her smile fell a bit, and he wanted to see it back on her face, so he started telling her stories of life at the circus, and things his mom had done. Kerri listened contentedly until she finally fell asleep, still laying on the bed facing him.

Kurt pulled a blanket over her and said quietly, "susse Traume, Schonheit." {sweet dreams, beautiful}

He turned off the light and climbed into bed after taking off his inducer and putting on his pajamas.

* * *

"Ich liebst du," the voice told her. {I love you}

Kerri sat upon her dad's lap. "I love you too daddy!" Her young voice said.

"Dad, I have to tell you, I'm a mutant." She told him, "Please don't hate me."

"Ich liebst du," he said again.

"Did you hear me, daddy?" She asked, "I'm a mutant."

"Ich liebst du, mein Sonnenschein." He said with a big smile on his face. {I love you, my sunshine}

The image started to fade. "Dad, wait, did you hear me?! Please don't leave me!"

"Ich liebst du, mein schoner Sonnenschein." His voice trailed off. {I love you, my beautiful sunshine}

"Dad... No..." Kerri mumbled. She opened her eyes and saw the motel room. It took her a moment to adjust to real life. She looked around and saw that Kurt wasn't in his bed, but that the light in the bathroom was on and she heard the shower running. She turned her head and allowed herself a moment to cry for her father. Not real tears, but the action of dry sobbing gave her some release.

Kurt stood in the shower, letting the water fall on his neck and chest. He'd stared at Kerri's face as he'd tried to fall asleep last night. It was so peaceful and soft. So... Beautiful. Then there was his dream.

When he'd finally gotten to sleep, he'd dreamt that Kerri was sitting on his lap in a shirt that was almost falling off of her shoulders. She'd talked to him sexily in German. "Hi Kurt." Her tail had waved back and forth enticingly. "We're here all alone... What would you like to do?" She crawled up his chest and leaned down to kiss him, their lips touched and his body came to life, like he was being touched all over. Kerri pulled back, "Kurt, turn off your inducer... Please? Just for me... It'll be so much better..." He'd turned it off and Kerri leaned down and started kissing him again, running her hands over his chest under his shirt.

Kurt brought himself back to reality. He turned the water to cold and rinsed himself of any remaining soap he may have.

He didn't know what was wrong with him; he'd thought of things like that before, of course, but never so much so often. It must be because they were so close together with no other distractions.

He finished getting ready for the day and turned on his inducer before he walked out of the bathroom. He saw that Kerri was awake and greeted her, "Guten Morgan." {good morning}

"Good morning," Kerri answered as she pulled out her hygiene kit and some clean clothes. She passed him as she went into the bathroom and the smell of the body wash he'd picked flooded her nose and she inhaled deeply. 'Mmmm,' she thought, 'he smells so-' she caught herself and blushed deep red as she closed the bathroom door.

* * *

When they got to the hospital Kerri made them walk through the entire parking lot to look for her stepfather's truck before they could go in. Kurt was complaining that he was hungry again by the time they were done. "Ok, we can eat before."

Kurt ate his cheeseburger and watched Kerri play with her fries. She was staring out of the window at the hospital, watching people walking in and out.

After Kurt finished his food, and Kerri's, they walked across the street.

Kerri stopped at the door. "You stay here."

Kurt looked at her as she took off her backpack, and said, "but ve're in zhis togezher."

Kerri turned to him. "No, I'm going to go see my mom, and I need you to stay here," Pause, "in case we need to leave quickly." She almost said what she really meant; 'in case I turn into a monster accidentally.' "Will you watch my bag?"

"Ok, but only if you're careful," Kurt told her, not sure why he'd told her to be careful. How much trouble could you get into visiting someone in the hospital during visiting hours?

Kerri nodded and looked around before she walked in and went up to the information desk.

Kerri walked up to the lady at the desk, and flashed her 'perfect student' smile. "Hello, I'm looking for my mother? Her name is Janette Hawthorne." She still felt like it burnt her tongue when she said her stepfather's last name.

"Room 203." The lady told her, not paying much attention.

"Thank you so much." Kerri told her and walked to the elevators, the smile vanishing into a nervous lip bite.

When Kerri arrived at the room her mother was in, she stood in the hallway, focusing on breathing and staying calm. She took a deep breath and opened the door. "Hello?"

"Hello? Who is that?" She heard her mom ask, confused.

Kerri paused behind the door. "It's... It's your daughter..." She felt her eyes prickle.

"What?" She heard her mom ask, and she stepped out from behind the door and looked at the face she hadn't seen for almost two years, the face of the woman she still felt compelled to defend, the face of the woman she still felt loyal to, even after all she'd done, or not done.

She looked different, her hair was longer, curly, dyed a dark brown color instead of her mother's natural dirty dishwater blond. Her face was chubbier, but beyond that, she couldn't tell because of the gown and the blankets.

Her mother looked at her, and her eyes grew almost twice their size, a silent scream was on her face.

"Mom, I heard you were here, I just wanted to see if you were ok..." Kerri said, trying to make a connection with her mom.

Her mom's silence broke and the scream came out, shrill and loud. Then she started throwing anything in her reach.

Kerri stared at her mom, tears rushing to her eyes. How could she do that? She was supposed to be her mother, to care, and love her... Forever... She was half her, twenty-three chromosomes of this woman were inside her... And this woman had let her live in an ally, have to eat things out of the garbage, cat food... And she hadn't even tried to find her. For two years.

Something inside of her snapped.

Kerri suddenly saw the woman sitting in front of her as if it was the first time. She wasn't able to cope with anything, even when her dad had been alive, he had been the one to take care of everything. He had worked himself hard to make sure that the house wasn't taken, there was food in the house, that Kerri was going to school and learning lots of things, so she could function and take care of herself when the time came. And her mother had sat like a wart on a toad. Hopping along, but only when someone else told her to. She couldn't take care of herself or make decisions or cope with anything.

It had only taken a moment to realize all of this and in that time her mother had pressed the call button and a nurse came, her mother was screaming, "She's a mutant! Save me! Don't let her get me!"

Kerri turned and ran from the doorway.

An alarm sounded above her head and panic ensued; nurses rushed down the hall from the call station, telling patients it was a drill and closing doors, housekeepers running to hide, and security pounding the halls to find the horrible genetic freak, who was there to terrorize, rape, and murder them all. Or at least that's what they acted like she was going to do.

Kerri ran down a hall, she got to the elevators and pushed the button, but security turned the corner and spotted her before she could look innocent, "There she is!"

Kerri spun and ran down the hall, she pushed the fire door and another alarm sounded, along with flashing lights, the biggest lights turned off, leaving only the low power and alarm lights. She continued running down the hall, finding an open closet and hiding behind the things in it.

The security officers walked past, creeping to make sure they didn't miss her. "Where is she?" One asked, "They said she went in the fire stairs, but I don't think so..." There was a squawking then,_ "Suspect is female, age 17, red or brown hair, suspect is wearing blue jeans, blue t shirt, and an army green jacket..."_

Kerri bit her lip, and looked around to see what she had around to help her out of this situation.

Kurt was standing outside the hospital. "Vhat is taking so long..." He muttered to himself, "Maybe zhey made up, maybe she's in zhere talking to her right now..." He set Kerri's heavy bag on the ground by his leg and contemplated going inside to find her... Suddenly there was a loud commotion inside, people ran back and forth, some of the lights turned off, and several people started talking into walkie talkies. "Vas zur Holle?" {What the hell?}

Kerri found a badge on a lab coat and looked at the picture, a girl with short brown hair and brown eyes.

She could do it, she could leave without anyone seeing her. But she'd have to use her powers... It was a hard choice, but she didn't have long to make it, so she looked at the picture and studied it hard before she slipped on the lab coat and stepped out of the closet, keeping her eyes closed and the image in her head.

It only took a moment for a security guard to see her. "Miss, are you ok?"

Kerri took that as a sign that it had worked, she turned, looking horrified. "She went that way! She went down that hall! Stop her!"

"Come on!" He yelled and the guards ran the way she had pointed. "Get out of the halls miss!"

Kerri nodded and ran in the opposite direction. She reached a stair well and ran down. As she got to the lobby she walked through the lobby, trying not to look suspicious, she realized that she didn't want Kurt to see her like this, she took a breath and let her image go completely, "Normal, long hair, blue-green eyes... pale skin..." she muttered under her breath.

The lady at the information desk yelled out, "There she is!"

Kerri ran towards the doors, dodging around a guard, and opening the door in one motion.

Kurt heard someone inside yelling, "There's a mutant loose in here!" He looked at himself, he looked like a normal person, it wasn't him. "Ach, Kerri!" As he looked up, the door blew open and a white blur went past him, picking up Kerri's backpack as it went. "Kurt, rennen!" He recognized Kerri's voice pass him. {run!}

"Schisse," Kurt spat and ran after her. He ran behind Kerri, trying to keep up.

Finally, Kerri stopped, panting, by the back of a gas station.

Kurt caught up to Kerri and saw her crouching on the concrete, petting a stray cat. The cat arched and backed away as Kurt walked up. He stopped and stood still, looking at the cat, as Kerri looked up at him. "Sorry, stray cats don't like me very much..." He told her, sadly.

"Probably because you're so energetic, moving around all the time." Her voice was bland, emotionless, but Kurt could hear the pain it was hiding. His heart felt a squeeze. "Stray cats are easy." She took a can of tuna and the can opener from the dollar store out of her bag. She opened the can of tuna and set it on the ground. "They just need some time to know that you don't want to hurt them." The cat slowly made it's way back to the can of tuna. Kerri stretched out her hand, slowly petting the cat again. "If you're calm enough, you can pet it."

Kurt slowly crouched by Kerri and reached out. Kerri wiped something wet onto Kurt's hand. He looked at her, but she was watching the cat, who was sniffing his fingers. Kurt looked back down at the cat as Kerri thought to it, 'I know, you just can't stay from him... Me either... He's a good person...' She tried not to be obvious that she was staring at him. Her heart and throat felt tight and her eyes prickled.

* * *

They walked back to the motel in the near dark. Kurt was doing the "potty dance" as he unlocked the door. "Ach! Sie toilet!"

"You shouldn't have drank those two big gulps then," Kerri said and felt a tug of humor.

"But I vas zhirsty!" Kurt said as he ran to the bathroom and closed the door.

Kerri was much slower, she untied her hair, letting it fall to hide her face before walking to her bed and sitting on the edge. Her throat felt tight and tingly, she was going to cry, she knew it. Her shoulders sank lower and she balled her fists into the mattress. She didn't want to cry. She clenched her eyes closed. She wasn't going to cry...

A stuttering sob forced it's way out of her mouth, and she tried to hold it in harder.

Kurt was drying off his hands when he heard a strange sound in the other room. He opened the door and stepped out, wonderingly.

Kerri sat on her bed, her hair was hanging all around her face, her shoulders were tense, and her fists were making dents in mattress.

Kurt's heart throbbed painfully, and he rushed to Kerri's side. "Kerri." She looked away from him, squeezing her eyes tighter. "Kerri," he couldn't stand to see her in this much pain. He sat down and pulled her close to him.

Kerri tried to push him away, but Kurt pulled her tighter, and even his tail wrapped around her waist to hold her close. Kerri's hands clutched at the front of Kurt's shirt and the dam broke. She buried her face into his shoulder and it poured out of her, all the anger and upset she'd had towards her parents since she was nine. All the years of loneliness and feelings of being forgotten she'd had. It all flowed out, and Kurt sat, holding her close.

For half an hour he held her close and and let her cry into his shoulder. He wished he was this close for a different reason. He wished that she liked him, and that he could ask her out, and that they could just sit like this forever, but without the sadness.

Kerri pressed her forehead against Kurt's shoulder, she'd cried all the tears she'd held back over the years, now she was just leaning against him, he smelled so good, she could feel his muscles under his shirt...

She could feel that at any moment it was going to turn awkward, after all, Kurt was a nice guy, but how long did he want to console a girl that he wasn't dating, and didn't even like? She pushed away, hiding her face, which she was sure was a mess. "Sorry I ruined your shirt..."

"It's ok, it's just a shirt..." Kurt said, this was it, the end of the fantasy... He knew what was next, She would get up, walk away, thanks for the hug... See ya...

Kerri stood up. "I'm going to go clean up..." She walked to the bathroom. "Kurt," she paused by the bathroom door. "Thanks for being there..." Kerri felt awkward saying it, but how do you tell a guy, 'thanks for holding me so close, you delicious smelling stud!' without being creepy? She closed the door.

"Kein probleme," he paused, then changed the word, "aufgabe." His heart throbbed painfully again. {no trouble, duty (he says no duty meaning he didn't do it because he felt like he had to, but because he wanted to.)}


	14. Where's the but?

**[AN: Ok, so I'm editing and publishing chapters on fanfiction instead of working on my costume for comic con... I'm such a procrastinator... Anyway, enjoy!]**

* * *

Kurt and Kerri sat at the bus station, waiting for their bus to come. They'd gotten there even earlier than they would've been awake normally, but they didn't want to miss it.

Kerri sat next to Kurt and people watched, trying to stay awake; there was a group of business men and women, all talking together about the conference they were headed to, while being annoyingly awake and drinking coffee, quite a few randoms who were standing alone, or in small clusters, talking, listening to music on headphones, playing handheld games, one every few had some sort of book or magazine.

Kerri wished she had money to buy another book or a magazine, or at least had some music. She looked over to Kurt, who was sitting back on the bench, eyes closed and breathing deeply. Her lips curved up into a smile, he really was so cute and innocent looking, which made him look cuter. She pushed the smile from her mouth and it was replaced with a knitted brow.

Kurt was really cute, she was even getting used to his hologram, even though she still preferred it off... and his shirt too... Kerri blushed and sat up straight. 'Back to _not_ being a pervert...' She thought.

She liked Kurt, a lot, but after that thing last night, she wasn't sure where they stood, she was already awkward because she liked him, but now she liked him, and had cried on him, something she had been trying not to do to anyone for a long time. It had been awkward before, when she'd fallen on him, but now that she'd bawled all over his shirt, she wasn't sure how to act, or how things would go once they got back to the institute.

A group of girls, it was hard to say weather they were in high school or middle school, walked past, giggling and talking loudly, "Eh, look at that girl, her hair's all crazy, she doesn't even look like she put anything in it..."

Kerri's hand went to her hair, it was braided nicely, but the girls who had commented looked like they had spent at least an hour on their hair; it was up in some sort of new fashion, and looked like they had poured hairspray on it, even though it didn't look like it had need it.

The speaker finally crackled and let everyone know that it was time to board. This time, Kurt sat at the window and Kerri took the isle seat. Kerri wrapped her arms around herself and fell asleep quickly.

Kurt spent the first half of the trip looking out the window, or watching Kerri sleep. He wasn't sure what was going on now with her, and he didn't want to freak her out by being weird or clingy, after all, she had been acting like she didn't want to be around him since before the'd gone on the trip.

Kerri woke up when Kurt shook her shoulder. "Ve're stopping for a bazhroom break soon."

* * *

"Ok," she mumbled and sat up, stretching and looking round. She saw that the girls from before had picked a spot only one row behind them, on the other side of the bus, and her expression darkened slightly.

After everyone had boarded the bus and they had started on their journey again, Kerri and Kurt sat silently.

Kurt tried not to be obvious while looking at Kerri, and Kerri passed the time listening to people on the bus. The group of loud girls was prevalent in the voices she could hear, and Kurt could hear them too, they were so loud.

"Did you see that hot guy? Right there?" Giggles ensued. "What about that girl? With the army jacket? She's like, so ugly, she doesn't even have any make up on..."

Kerri's eyebrows drew together and she glanced back at them, before turning forward again. 'Stupid girls, always having to bring other people down...' she thought.

Kurt looked back at the girls that had made the comment, Kerri ugly? If you were blind, maybe. He saw the look of agitation on her face and told her, "Don't listen to zhem, zhey don't know anyzhing. You're ver-ry pret-t-ty..." He stuttered out before his brain could catch him. He blushed and looked away from her face.

Kurt's words flowed into her ears and she felt rubbed the wrong way. Kerri's eyes grew even more angry as she turned to look at him. "Don't say that."

"Ah, huh?" Kurt asked looking back at her, confused.

Kerri looked away from him. "Just because Professor Xavier asked you to come with me, it doesn't mean that you have to say things like that to me to be nice." Kurt grew even more confused. "I know you don't like me. Just because you're a nice guy doesn't mean you have to-"

Kurt was really confused now, she thought he didn't like her? Where had she been for the last few months? "Vas?" he interrupted.

"It's obvious you don't like me." She told him, sullenly.

"Vhat makes you zhink zhat?" He asked, still confused.

"Well, you looked pretty horrified when Kitty suggested having a double date." She said, ruefully.

"Vhat?"

"You looked like you'd rather puke than go out with me." She repeated, agitated.

Kurt was shocked, she thought he didn't like her so much that he couldn't stand the thought of going out with her? "I just didn't vant you to zhink zhat I vas so lame zhat I had to have my friend ask you out for me..." He told her, but her slouched, crossed arm, angry faced posture didn't change. "Kerri, I- I like you..." He stuttered and blushed.

"Yes, I'm a great, albeit very sarcastic friend to have," she said, her voice dripping with the stuff.

"Vhat? Nein, Kerri, I like you, Zuneigung." He blushed harder.

Kerri was turned away from him, still seething with anger. "I don't know that word," She told him.

"It's..." He tried to get the courage, "affection..."

This gave Kerri pause. "Affection?"

"Ja..." He was unsure, but it still felt like rejection.

Kerri's face cleared a little, and she gave Kurt a sideways look. "You- you mean you like me like me?"

Kurt was confused again. "Um, I don't know vas das ist..." {what that is}

She glanced away. "I guess that is elementary school terminology..." She blushed and looked back at him in a side glance. "It means 'like' in a girlfriend-boyfriend way..."

Kurt blushed too. "Ja..."

Kerri turned back around, he liked her? Really?

"Um, Kerri," Kurt began, nervously, "you, havn't said how you feel..."

Kerri blushed. "I like you too, Kurt..." she trailed off.

Kurt sighed internally, he could feel a 'but' there. "Vhat?"

"I like you too..." She repeated, still blushing and looking away.

"Und?" Kurt asked, needing to hear the rest.

"And?" Kerri spun around to face him and said defensively. "I like you and you smell good? What do you want me to say?!"

Kurt leaned back in surprise, as the bus pulled into the station.

This time, Kerri was one of the first ones off, and Kurt followed close behind. "I zhought zhere vas a but," he tried to explain.

"The only 'butt' here is the one you sit on," Kerri said, agitated.

They got to the parking lot and Kurt spotted Logan in the school's "errands/ field trip van" parked by the sidewalk. "Zhere's our ride..."

As they got closer Logan leaned out. "Kid, you're riding shotgun, Elf, you're in the back."

* * *

When they arrived back at the institute, they had to check in with professor Xavier.

"Kerri, how was your mother?" He asked, pleasantly, not even bringing up her running away at first.

"Hateful." She answered.

Xavier hid his surprise at this. "How do you mean?"

"She had the entire hospital trying to catch me to burn me like a witch," She said with no emotion.

Kurt looked at her in surprise. 'She didn't tell me zhat...'

"I see. You're free to go Kerri, I'm sorry it didn't go better."

"Thanks Professor, I'm going to bed. See ya." Kerri left and Kurt turned to follow her.

"Wait a moment, Kurt. I still have a few questions for you." Charles called him back.

"Ja professor?" He asked.

"Did Kerri use her powers?"

"Um, I'm not sure. She von't even tell me vhat zhey are." Kurt admitted.

"But, you saw her as a little kid before, and a teenager now, you don't know what they are?" Charles asked him.

"Nein, I zhought she might have an image inducer too, actually..." Kurt told him. It would explain the disappearing reappearing tail.

"No, her abilities are much the same as if she had an inducer, though, they won't work on any mutant with strong psychic abilities, it seems." He told Kurt.

"Strong psychic abilities like yours, professor?" Kurt asked.

"Yes, why?"

"Um, professor, does Kerri have a tail?" Kurt asked shyly.

"Not that I've seen, but she has mentioned that she grows one sometimes, why do you ask?" He questioned.

"Oh, just vondering..." Kurt told him, putting off the truth.

"You're wondering if she's put off by your tail?" Charles guessed.

"I vish you wouldn't do zhat, Professor..." Kurt told him.

"Kurt, I don't have to read your mind, anyone could tell that you like her," he told the young, blue man.

"She couldn't..." He muttered.

"Don't be too hard on her, Kurt, she had some other things weighing on her mind. Now, did you see her use her abilities?"

Kurt shook his head. "She vouldn't let me go into zhe hospital vizh her."

'Hmm, clever girl...' Charles thought to himself.

* * *

"Kurt! You're finally back! Where's Kerri?" Kitty almost ran him over when she rushed to him with Piotr following behind.

"I've only been gone for four days, and she vent to bed," he laughed as he told her.

Kitty got an evil grin on her face. "So, Kurt, you were away from school, alone, with the girl you like, for four days, dish!"

"Nozhing happened," Kurt told her, but she just gave him a look like, 'I know something happened, tell me!' "Vhat? Nozhing happened!"

"Did you even spend time with her?" She asked suspiciously.

"Vell, ja, ve vere in zhe same room zhe whole time," it slipped out before he could think better.

"Ohmygod! What did you do, you sly fox?!" Kitty asked, super excited and squealing.

"Nozhing, I keep telling you." Kurt told her, blushing bright red through his hologram.

"That blush says there's something, you know I'm just going to bug you til you tell me!" She was still giggly.

"Piotr, vould you tell her nozhing happened," Kurt asked the silent man.

"Kitty, if he says nothing happened, nothing happened." Piotr vouched for him.

"Fine. What did you do all that time, then?" Kitty asked, defeated.

"Vell, ve ate food, und showered, alone," he added quickly, squashing her new giddiness, "und, slept, in separate beds, und..." He paused, thinking, "She saw her mozher, and, um, I told her zhat I like her..." He admitted, blushing.

"What did she say?" Kitty was once again excited.

"Sie sagte, she said zhat she zhought I hated her, and I told her I liked her..." Kurt trailed off, remembering how it had happened. {she said}

"Mm-hmm," Kitty nodded eagerly.

"She got mad..." Kurt trailed off, knowing it was his fault.

"She got mad because you said you liked her?!" Kitty exclaimed, shocked.

"Nein... I asked her how sie fuhlst... Und she said she liked me too..." Kurt was having trouble because he felt so dumb admitting this to Kitty. {she felt}

"Kurt, I'm going to grab you and shake you if you take any longer telling this story!" Kitty was on the edge of happiness for Kurt, but still confused about Kerri being mad, because she liked him, maybe?

"She said she liked me, but I kept asking her vhat, and she got mad and yelled zhat she liked me and I smell gut..." It sounded stupid, even now, and he knew that she hadn't really yelled at him, but it had felt that way.

Kitty's eyebrows went up, eyes widened, and mouth opened in surprise.

"I zhought zhere vas a but! Zhere's alvays a but!" Kurt defended, "It's alvays, "I like you, Kurt, but I don't like you zhat vay," or "I like you, but I don't zhink I could go out vizh you"..."

Kitty's mouth closed and she was serious. "And what did she say?"

"She said zhe only but vas zhe vone you sit on," Kurt said, confused.

A smile widened on Kitty's face. "She likes your butt!" She giggled.

"Vas?"

Kitty just laughed.

* * *

Kerri got to her room and got ready for bed. She couldn't believe all that had gone on this weekend. She didn't feel guilty about her mom anymore, she'd gotten to spend the time with the guy she liked, he'd told her he liked her... It was pretty busy.

She laid in bed, exhausted, and soon fell asleep, replaying how Kurt had told her that he liked her over in her mind.

Kerri attended classes the next day, sitting through them, but thinking about Kurt, and probably analyzing to death when he'd said he liked her.

She'd looked so tormented by her thoughts that even professor Summers had given her a break about not doing her homework.

Lunch came and Kitty was waiting for her again. Kerri walked up slowly.

"Hi! Did you have fun?" Kitty made conversation as they went through the line. "Did you do anything interesting?"

"Evaded security at the hospital," Kerri answered as they sat down. She noticed that Kurt wasn't at the table and felt let down. 'Now he can't stand to be around me...'

"You did what? What happened?" Kitty pressed her.

"Just normal anti-mutant pigheadedness. They wanted to burn me at the stake." Kerri gave the short answer.

Kurt made his way to the table and sat down, cursing Scott for making him stay after, it felt like forever, he wanted to see Kerri now, verdammt. {damn it}

Kitty turned to him, and tried to continue the conversation they'd been having in class. "So, are you thinking about it?"

Kurt glanced at Kerri, who was watching her fork play with her food, and back to Kitty, blushing and wide-eyed. "I told you it's veird to talk to you about zhat..."

Kerri looked up at him, confusion on her face.

Kurt looked at Kerri and down to his food, embarrassed by Kitty's conversation. She'd been pestering him about if he'd tried or thought about having sex with Kerri while they were away. When he'd told her that he hadn't tried, she asked if he was thinking about trying now that he knew she liked him, and he'd turned a brilliant pink, refusing to answer her.

Kitty poked him in the side. "I'll just have to assume it's a yes, if you don't answer..."

Kerri looked to Kitty as she took a bite of her lunch. 'Well, this is strange...'

Kitty turned to Kerri. "Hey, Kerri, can I ask you a question?"

"Um, sure..." Kerri said hesitantly.

"Kitty, no!" Kurt blushed, knowing where this was going.

"Are you a virgin?" Kitty asked, not bothering to soften the question.

Kerri choked on her drink in her wide eye shock at Kitty's question. Kurt's tail curled around her ankle and he almost leaped across the table to her, but Piotr slapped her on the back and she leaned forward, her mouthful of drink dribbling down her chin as she breathed in air. "Thanks," she mumbled as she wiped off her face. Piotr nodded and went back to his food, and Kurt sat back down and pulled his tail away.

"So?" Kitty questioned.

Kerri looked at her like she was crazy. "Why this sudden interest in my virginity, or lack thereof?"

Kitty squinted at her. "So you're not?"

"I am, but why do you want to know?" Kerri blushed.

Kitty smiled. "Oh, just gathering facts." She turned back to Kurt. "See, you're not the only one left."

Kurt turned red. "You'd besser not let Scott hear you say zhat."

Kerri looked at her wide-eyed, wasn't Piotr like five years older or something? They'd get in some serious trouble about that...

Kitty turned red, and Piotr looked uneasy.

Kerri couldn't think of anything to add so she just said, "How 'bout them Giants..." and flushed as they all looked at her, confused.

Kurt's tail crept forward and touched something, which he was sure was part of Kerri, he yanked it back as she looked under the table, wondering what had touched her.

* * *

Kerri was in the danger room with Jean doing what she thought was a weird test.

"What is this?" Jean held up an apple to the blindfolded girl.

Kerri's brow was pinched together under the fabric. "I don't know, I can't see, can I."

"Concentrate, Kerri, reach out mentally and feel for it." Jean tried to walk her through it.

She tried hard to do what the professor said. "A rock," Kerri guessed, trying to "feel" it.

"Try and concentrate," Jean prompted.

"A ball." Kerri didn't know what she was _supposed_ to "see", but nothing is what she did see.

"Feel it with your mind," Jean encouraged.

"Crap, I don't know, I give up, an apple?" Kerri guessed, pulling something out of thin air.

Jean raised an eyebrow. 'Interesting,' she made a note. "How about this one?" She held up a wooden carving of at tree.

Kerri sighed, agitated, but managing to keep her tail away. "Feh, a tree? What point does this serve?"

"Good, and this one?" Jean held up a pineapple. "We're doing this to test your mental ability."

"Wait, how were you holding a tree just now? I guessed that because you couldn't possibly be holding that..."

Jean laughed quietly. "Just try to guess this one."

"That one's a tree too."

"Kerri," Jean started.

Kerri got a prickly feeling on her hands and a sweet smell came to her. "Ok, it's spiky like a porcupine and fruity like an orange," Kerri told her, confused about how she got that feeling.

Jean looked down at the pineapple, well, it was spiky, and it was a citrusy fruit... She guessed it was at least half a pass. "Ok, we're done. You can take the blindfold off."

* * *

"My tests conclude that she does have a small amount of extra sensory feeling, but that she uses it without knowing and when she tries to control it, her focus gets in the way of actually using it."Jean told Xavier.

"Interesting," he commented over his touching fingertips.


	15. Lofty Cofee is Weird

**[AN: Welcome to the next chapter of Fuzzy Images! First, there was a few questions; 'I don't really understand Kerri's powers.' True, that might be in part to that she doesn't really understand them herself and the story is told mostly through her third person view, but here you go; Kerri has empathic psi powers that cause things to manifest into reality by "feeling" them, the two ways this happens is by causing her to shape shift, and creating items within a limit, (she has to have intimate knowledge of the item and how it works, there is a size restriction, and they only exist while she is making them, which takes up a lot of energy). Her empathic psi powers also give her a bit of latent telepathy, although she doesn't know it yet, but since it's only empathic psi, she can only read emotions. So, now that I've explained the inner workings, I can give you the short answer to the second part of the question, 'Is she basically a shape shifter that can take on the figure of a person's fear? Or does she also get the ability of the person she shifts into (like Phoenix)?' Yes, she is basically a shape shifter that can take the form of someone's fear, but only because she read it emphatically. No, she does not gain their powers, she only appeared to be floating as Phoenix because that's how Jean remembered her. The last part of that review was concern about something Hank said in chapter two, it has been explained in that chapter because I thought it was important enough that anyone who read it knew right then.]**

* * *

On Friday Kurt and Kitty left class on their way to lunch. "Are you going to ask her?" Kitty pestered.

"Ja, I just vant to vait until after class," Kurt told her.

"Well, don't wait too long. Oh, I was going to ask before, was she more talkative when you were on your adventure?"

"Nein, not really," he answered and left her in the hall to wait for Kerri.

When he got through the line and started over to the table, he was surprised to see Kerri already there, reading a book. "Hallo," he greeted with a cute, trouble making smile. "Slipped zhe guard today?"

"Indeed," she answered, trying not to blush, but he was too cute for his own good.

Kitty was surprised when Piotr walked up to her. "She was already at the table when I got here." Kitty looked into the lunch room and saw Kurt and Kerri sitting alone. A smile spread over her face. "Sneaky."

Kitty and Piotr sat after they had gotten their food. "Hi Kerri, how are you today?"

Kerri laughed internally, wondering what had tipped Kitty off that she was already there. "I'm ok." 'Crap, I suck at talking to people, so much...'

"So, did you ask?" Kitty asked Kurt in a sidebar.

Kurt shook his head, and Kitty turned back to Kerri. "So, Kerri, do you-"

"Kitty! Ich sagte, ich wollte es nach der Schule machen!" Kurt told her in a little of a panic. {I said I wanted to do it after school}

Kitty looked at him blankly. "What?"

Kerri's eyebrows drew together. "You want to make what after school?"

Kitty and Kurt spoke at the same time. "Oh, but then I won't be there!"

"Nozhing!" Kurt blushed.

"You'll see!" Kitty chirped to her.

"See what?" Kerri asked, startled by the double conversation.

"Nozhing!" Kurt's blush increased.

"I'm not allowed to tell you," Kitty told her, mysteriously.

Kerri didn't say anything, but went back to her food.

* * *

Kerri sat by the practice balance beam and stretched loose before she started to practice.

She was upside down on her hands, she took a step, then one more before falling. Turning it into a tumble, she rolled forward into someone's legs. "Sorry," she looked up. "Kurt, what are you doing here?"

"Just going to vork out. Vhat are you vorking on?"

"Walking on my hands."

"You mean like zhis?" Kurt flipped over and walked on his hands as though it was an everyday movement.

'Which it might be, for him,' she thought, 'having been in the circus and all.' "Yeah, maybe one day ..." Kerri felt her face heat a little as she admired him, walking around on his hands, wearing a tshirt and sweat pants.

"I could help you practice." Kurt said and stood on his feet again.

"Um, that would probably help..." she tried not to blush.

"Don't vorry, I'm a professional," he told her with a grin.

He helped her by holding her feet in the air as she walked for a few hours before she told him she was done.

"Oh man, I'm not going to be able to do danger room training tomorrow," Kerri said as she rubbed her arms.

Kurt laughed, then took a breath and nervously asked, "Um, Kerri, Kitty decided zhat she vants to go try a new coffee place zhat opened, and, vell, vould you like to come vizh us?"

Kerri didn't like coffee, but she would be with Kurt, and if she wasn't mistaken, was this a date invitation? Her face fell as she realized the snag in the plan. "Sounds ok, but I don't have any money."

"Zhat's ok, uh, I'm sure ve could figure somezhing out..." Kurt blushed and scuffed his foot across the floor.

Kerri felt her tail trying to escape her control and squeezed her muscles to regain composure. "I guess I could go."

Kurt's heart leaped, she said yes!

* * *

Kerri walked into the danger room alone the next day, wearing her workout clothes, as they had not been able to make her an X suit, due to her refusing to use her powers.

"You ready, Kid?" Logan's voice came from the speakers above her head.

"Ready," she confirmed, straightening her pants.

The room shimmered and an ally appeared. It was between two very tall brick buildings, she could see garbage and debris along the ground and hear traffic in the distance.

"Ha, very funny," she said to Logan in the booth, and looked around for what she was supposed to fight.

Two guys in a classic bad guy get up walked towards her. "Are these people real?" She asked the invisible people in the booth.

"Oh, we're real alright, come here, kitty kitty," one of the baddies tried to coax.

"Also very funny," Kerri said, her expression turning sour.

"Why don't you just come here, it'll hurt less," the other baddie told her.

"I really hope you're not real, 'cause it'll bring me too much joy to put you out of commission," she told them with a straight face.

She picked up a rock from the ground and walked up to them. She threw the rock as hard as she could into the one on her right's stomach, making him double over, then she brought her leg up, bent, so that her knee hit him in the head, then extended her foot, catching his head with it as he fell, making him tumble backwards to the ground.

The second one was a little tougher, but she managed to kick him in his gut, sending him into the wall.

"Am I done?" She asked as the guy slid to the floor. "Apparently not," she muttered as three more baddies came out of nowhere. She had trouble, but managed to take them down using the techniques Logan had taught her, her natural instinct, and the garbage she found that could suffice as a weapon.

She panted and wiped sweat off of her forehead. "Can I be done? I want to take a shower before I go out."

The room shivered and became a steel grey area again. "Thanks."

"Next time you'll have to actually run, be prepared," Logan told her as she exited. He turned to the Professor. "She's doing ok."

"Yes, she is, but I still want her to use her powers, with powers like that, she might have adverse consequences if she doesn't use them, and if she waits for too long, she might become a time bomb."

* * *

Kerri stepped out of the shower, freshly washed. She loved the feeling of soft clean skin, she put on a pair of jeans, loving how they glided across her shaved legs. "How do I forget how good this feels every time?" She asked herself.

She pulled out a loose, soft, long sleeved shirt and rubbed her face across it. She hummed in appreciation. 'So soft. I wonder what it would feel like to rub against-' She pulled away, wide eyed. "Whoa, so gotta stop being so weird."

She finished getting dressed and pulled on the boots that she'd gotten from what she called "the good will shop", but really it was just where students put all the clothes they'd out grown off so that someone else could find something if they needed it.

There was a knock on her door and Kerri opened it, seeing Kitty.

"Are you ready?" Kitty asked, stepping in and looking around Kerri's room. It was pretty blank, with stacks of books and paper on the bookcase, a mirror on the wall, and a spattering of hand drawn pictures on the wall. The ones she could see were of animals, but she thought there were other things as well.

"Just have to do my hair," Kerri said, walking to the mirror and picking up her comb.

"Where are you going to do with it?" Kitty asked, coming over to her.

"Brush it." Kerri left it down, but kept a hair tie on her wrist and turned to Kitty. "I'm ready."

"Ok, let's go!" Kitty grabbed her hand and dragged her through the halls, until they got to the front doors.

* * *

Kurt was standing by the front doors with Piotr, waiting for Kitty and Kerri to come down.

He paced back and forth across the hall in front of Piotr, worrying silently to himself while his tail swished viciously around, 'Vhat if she doesn't come down... Vhat if she doesn't like going out thegezher... Does zhis count as a date?'

"It will be fine." Piotr told him as he passed him again.

Kurt looked up at the quiet man, wishing he had his confidence. "How can you be so sure?"

Piotr didn't get a chance to answer, though, and instead turned his head to the stairs. "Here they come."

Kurt looked up to the stairs and saw Kitty and Kerri walking down. He jerked his tail back so it wasn't visible.

Kitty ran up to them and threw her arms around Piotr while Kerri walked slowly behind her. "Let's go!" Kitty cried.

* * *

They all walked into the coffee shop, and Kitty ran up to the board. "Wow, look at this menu! It all sounds kind of strange."

The other three reached the menu and saw what she meant; there were things on it such as, "minty peanut butter crunch coffee" and "cherry-vanilla chi tea late."

Kerri's face showed her disgust, and Kurt looked uncertain, but Piotr was unreadable, as always.

When they had waited their turn in line Kitty went first. "I'd like to try the Mallow- cinnamon- toffee coffee." She moved over to the side so everyone else could order.

Piotr ordered a mulberry- guava black tea and Kurt chose an imbe- jack fruit smoothie.

When Kerri got to the front she just asked for a cup of water, and joined the others at a table.

"What did you get?" Kitty asked, confused at the clear liquid.

"Water," Kerri answered.

"You didn't want anything to drink?" Kitty asked. "I've got money if you need-"

Kerri shook her head. "I don't like coffee, and that other stuff sounds too weird."

Kurt tasted his smoothie and tried not to spit it back out. "Ach! Zhat's so strange!"

Kerri felt a laughing smile tug at her lips as she sipped on her water.

Kitty tried hers. "Wow, that's really weird." She put it down and scooted it toward Piotr, who was trying his, but after he tasted it he scooted it into the middle of the table, with no comment.

"Let's get out of here," Kitty said, getting up.

"Ja, zhis is too veird, and zhat's coming from somevone who's blue!"

Kerri took another sip of her water to hide her chuckle.

"So what are you going to do when we get back, Kerri?" Kitty asked as they walked back to the school.

Kerri started to shrug, but decided to answer. "Maybe I'll go work out in the gym."

Kurt's ears perked up. "Vould you like me too help you vizh valking on your hands some more?"

Kerri blushed and looked at the ground, somehow managing not to run into anyone, or trip on anything. "I'm sure it would help, but I don't want to be any trouble..."

"Oh, it's no trouble at all!" Kurt smiled and felt like he was almost skipping.

Kerri fell asleep almost immediately after all the physical stress her body had gone through today, with the danger room, walking into town and back, and practicing walking on her hands again for two hours, but Kurt laid awake, thinking about the day.

He'd gotten to touch Kerri again, while helping her train, but he'd stayed professional.

He'd noticed how she hadn't flinched away from his hands, even though they were strange.

He looked at his hands and turned off his hologram to look at them that way too. Did they feel any different to Kerri than they did to him? Was she really not bothered by how different he was?

* * *

Kerri felt as though the days were blurring together, school, danger room training, training on tumbling with Kurt in the gym, and sleeping, squeezing in a book when she had the chance.

Friday came and the only new thing was the anti- mutant protest, which had started the day before.

"Doesn't it suck that we can't go anywhere this weekend?" Kitty complained at the lunch table.

"Ja, but I don't zhink I'd vant to go out zhere," Kurt agreed.

Piotr added, "It's not safe for any of us to go out there."

"Vell, maybe you, you could go all metal and deflect zheir attacks!" Kurt jumped up and snapped his arms around, deflecting imaginary attacks.

Kerri hid her giggles by looking at the table and taking a bite of her lunch, but Kitty laughed out loud.

Kurt sat back down and Kitty asked, "So what are you going to do this weekend, Kurt"

"I don't know, I have danger room, and zhere is a test in drama, so I have to read zhis play."

"Sounds busy, what about you, Kerri?" Kitty turned and asked, trying to get the two together.

"Not much, probably the usual." Kerri dodged the question.

After lunch Kerri went to the danger room and fought alone against several foes, defeating them all, although with difficultly. She would swear that they were pushing her harder than they normally would for some reason.

As she walked out, covered in sweat, the Professor met her. "Kerri, I'd like to talk to you about using your powers. Let's go to my office."

Kerri sat in the chair across from professor Xavier, trying not to stick to it.

He watched her for a minute before starting, "I'd like to know why you're refusing to use your powers."

Kerri looked up at him. "I don't want to."

"I understand that, but why?" He rested his elbows on the desk and watched her, looking for any signs of untruth.

Kerri sighed and started drawing patterns on the carpet with the tip of her shoe.

"I take it you know about the last time I used them?" She asked at last, referring to when she scarred the other four students for life. He nodded and she continued, "I felt..."

Xavier continued to watch her, letting her come clean at her own pace.

"Like... I was happy. That I did that... And that they ran away... Afraid..." She stared at the carpet and willed her voice to stay steady.

Xavier paused, and thought for a moment before telling her, "I thought they were antagonizing you."

"They were..." Kerri studied the carpet.

"Then maybe you were just proud you defended yourself," he suggested.

Kerri shook her head in denial. "I'm a horrible monster... That's why... I liked it..." She looked up at the Professor. "I don't have to leave, do I? I'm sorry, I'll try to do better..." She felt her throat swelling with emotion and went silent.

"Kerri, you're not a monster, and I know of at least three other people who don't think so either. And I wouldn't make you leave the school. But I do have a concern for you; if you do not use your abilities, I fear that they may over come you." He soothed her, but ended with a warning.

Kerri looked up at him. "You mean Kurt, Kitty, and Piotr?" She continued when he nodded in affirmation, "they don't know I'm a monster because they haven't seen me change. And I'll be fine... I haven't used my powers for a long while, and there haven't been any effects so far. Can I go now?"

Professor Xavier looked at her stiff face and reluctantly allowed her to leave.

Kerri ran up to her room and showered quickly before putting on clothes and heading outside, needing to be alone.

* * *

"Charles, I saw Kerri going outside, and the anti- mutant rally outside of the gates isn't the only storm I feel brewing." Ororo told him.

He just sighed and said, "I hope she doesn't think she's going to run away again. Get Kurt, I think he'll be the best to handle this. And send him with an emergency pack."

"Yes, Professor," she answered and went to find the blue teen, who was the one to solve this problem.


	16. What's it called, that thing you have?

**[AN: I have one question to answer before I just get into the chapter, well, comment, really; 'I wish we got to see what the other characters are doing more, they only seem to talk about Kerri.' Four parts to this answer; 1. I wish I could put in more of what they were doing, because it's interesting and fills up space (I try to make it about five to six pages every chapter), and right now, Gambit is wooing Rouge, a pairing of which I'm very fond, but, 2. in this story Kerri and Kurt are the main characters so it follows them around in third person, and Kerri is pretty anti- social (just about her every social interaction is written down, except for in classes with the teachers) and Kerri has a philosophy of 'it's none of my damn business.' So most of the other characters are doing their thing off screen while Kerri stays away from them. 3. Most of the other characters in the X-Men are nosy, and since Kerri is new and mysterious, they talk about her a quite a bit, but really I'm just putting the conversations here so that you can see what they think about her, and there is some important information, also, a little conspiracy, going on that you need to see, and finally, 4. I'm trying to set up how the other characters feel about her and in grain her in the world because... Ready for this? There are two more books! And it's important to have everything spelled out in the first one so I don't have to keep explaining every little thing that's going on, like why Kerri keeps running away when what she really wants to do is kiss a certain blue fuzzy man senseless.]**

* * *

Kerri walked into the woods, her footsteps crunching through the snow, and pulled her hood up, over her damp hair. She was avoiding the gates and fences, knowing that the protesters were not close, but that they were there somewhere down the road. She didn't want to be around anyone, but that was hard with everyone having to stay in on a Friday.

She walked between the tree trunks and watched as the grey clouds gathered. They flowed together and around each other, splitting into new clouds. She sat on a tall tree root and watched them through the bare branches.

Kurt Bamfed, appearing a few feet away from Kerri and almost making her fall off of the tree root she was sitting on.

"Kerri, uh, vhat are you doing here?" Kurt asked, remembering that he wasn't supposed to seem like he was following her.

"Being alone. Or, I was..." she answered.

Kurt stood awkwardly for a moment before he stepped closer. "Is anyzhing wrong?"

Kerri looked back up to him. "No, why would you think that?"

Kurt's concern was heart-felt now. "You look sad."

Kerri scoffed, showing more emotion than before, "How could you tell on my face made of stone?"

Kurt's heart throbbed. "Vhat do you mean?"

Kerri looked up at him. "Kurt, I'm not stupid, I know that I don't have a very expressive face. It's a defense mechanism."

Kurt was taken aback. "I, nein, you're not, aber..."

There was a sudden annoying sort of buzz-ringing sound, and Kerri covered her ears, with a look of distaste. "What is that horrible noise?!"

Kurt had to yell to be heard over the din, "It's zhe alarm, somevone must have jumped over zhe gate!"

"You mean, one of the protesters? I thought that no one knew there were mutants here?" Kerri asked, confused.

The alarm noise ended and there was a crunching noise a few feet away as a middle-aged man fought his way out of a tangle of vines. "There are mutants here? I knew it! You're mutants, aren't you?! They said I was crazy!"

Kerri and Kurt looked at each other, startled, then back to the man. "You are crazy, there are no mutants here," Kerri told him with a straight face, but the man wasn't falling for it.

"You're lying!" He yelled, and it was obvious that he was disturbed in some way. Kerri became a little worried as the man pulled out a gun and waved it around, yelling, "Mutie scum!"

"Uh," her heart started beating faster and her pupils dilated, fight or flight was on the edge of kicking in, but she didn't want to do anything stupid and get Kurt hurt.

Kurt felt his blood racing through his veins, and his tail flicked, escaping his distracted control.

"I knew it!" The man shouted and swung his weapon around to Kurt.

Kerri felt her heart stop and her eyes widened, she had to save him. "Hey!" She tried, and succeeded, to get the man to look at her, the hand holding the weapon aimed towards her too. 'Something scary..' Her mind flowed slowly, 'big, hairy, wings, tail, claws, monster...' A half formulated image came into her head and she was about to shift when a sound stopped her, a voice.

Kurt called out, "Kerri!" She looked at him, a look that was half terror in her eyes. Kurt teleported next to her and threw his arms around her, teleporting away quickly, and then again, and again, trying to get away to safety.

Bamf!

Bamf!

Bamf!

Bamf Bamf Bamf Bamf!

Bamf!

On the last one, Kurt flew forward through the air, slamming arm first into a tree.

Kerri fell to her hands and knees, her eyes were wide and her stomach felt like it was in the back of her throat, making her gag. She felt like a shoelace that was threaded through the holes, then ripped out suddenly.

"Ahh, mein arm!" Kurt cried out, kneeling. He held his wrist and looked down, horrified when he saw that it was blue and furry. "Schisse..." He looked over at Kerri, who was on all fours on the ground, looking like she was about to puke. He couldn't help but wonder, was it because of him? The way he looked?

"Well, that was a different feeling..." Kerri commented as she stood up. "How do you do that all the time without barfing everywhere?"

"Practice," Kurt told her, glad that she wasn't ill from touching him.

"You're blue again."

Was Kurt mistaken, or was that happiness in her voice? "Ja, I zhink my inducer took zhe blow from zhe tree we crashed into," he told her shyly, looking at the broken piece of tech. "Now everyvone vill see me..."

Kerri looked at him, liking him better this way, but understanding the need to hide. "Don't worry," she said, smiling a little as she took off her coat and put it on his shoulders, pulling the hood up. "I'll save you."

Kurt looked up at her, the slight smile on her face, her blue- green eyes shinning with an inner light, her face had a soft look to it, her hair was falling all around her face in a soft halo, almost glowing from the light of the setting sun behind her. 'Sie ist ein Engel...' He thought, stunned. He felt the urge to kiss her, just wrap his arms around her, pull her to him, and kiss her til they were both stupid. {She's an angel}

Kurt was startled by the thought. 'Vhere did zhat come from?' Sure he'd thought of doing it before, but now was a chance... But he couldn't possibly ruin her angelic face by kissing her with his demonic lips...

Kerri felt something shift in the atmosphere, and she suddenly wanted to kiss Kurt, to feel his lips pressing against hers. Her eyes drifted to his lips, wishing he'd kiss her, because she didn't think she could get the nerve to kiss him.

They looked at each other for a moment, not noticing the other's want.

A bird kawed, flying out of the trees, and the moment was over.

"Um, we should... go back to the school..." Kerri stuttered, trying to hide her blush.

"Ja, und tell zhem about zhe crazy man vizh zhe gun..." Kurt added, covering his thoughts.

"Um, how do we get back there?" Kerri asked, looking around them at the trees and realizing that she didn't know where they were.

Kurt looked around as well. "I- I don't know..."

"Could we teleport there?" Kerri asked, the feeling of teleporting still fresh in her mind, but still, if it was the way to get home...

She paused and wondered when she started thinking of the school as "home," instead of as the place where she was staying.

Kurt looked around and admitted, "Vell, if I knew vhere ve vere I could, but I can't just teleport blindly..."

Kerri nodded in understanding as she thought about what else to do. She could grow wings and fly above the trees, but she didn't want to use her powers at all, and especially not in front of Kurt.

She went through the books she'd read, fantasy, horror, myths... Those wouldn't help, she needed outdoors stuff. Camping, fishing, skiing, sports, tracking... Tracking, that's it! "If we could find our own tracks, maybe we could track ourselves back..." She mumbled to herself.

Kurt was thinking of things they could do, but the only thing he could come up with was teleporting in a trail back to the school, but he didn't want to do that and make Kerri puke, although the thought of holding her close again was nice.

A gust of wind blew past them and Kurt saw Kerri shiver. He realized that he had both of their coats on and she had only a long-sleeved shirt and jeans. "Ach! Vie konnte ich so ein dummkopf sein!" He pulled her coat off of his shoulders and tried to hand it back to her. "Sorry Kerri, I don't zhink I should take your coat..." {How could I be such a fool (used like jackass)}

Kerri looked at the coat he was trying to hand her. "But, you wanted to hide..." She shivered a little as another gust of wind came past.

Kurt looked at her shivering. "Aber, but you're cold. I can't take a voman's coat vhen she's cold. Here." He tried to hand her her coat again.

"Well, you can take my coat, it's got a hood, and maybe I could wear your coat." She ducked her head as she realized what she had said.

"Oh, ja, ok." Kurt took off his lighter coat and put it onto her shoulders, then put on her coat.

"Thanks." Kerri blushed and pulled Kurt's coat around her. 'Mmmm, it smells like him.' She thought and blushed harder as she realized what she was thinking. "Oh, um, I think I figured out a way to find the school."

"Ja?" Kurt asked as he pulled the hood up and the coat closer around him. It smelled like a spicy wild flower, an orchid maybe? What ever it was, it was her scent and it smelled good to him.

"I read a book on tracking one time, and I think that if we could find our tracks from when we came out here, maybe I could reverse track us, and that would lead us to the school," Kerri explained.

Kurt thought. "It could vork," he said.

"Ok, so which way did we come from?" Kerri turned around, looking for a direction.

Kurt pointed in a direction behind him. "Zhat vay."

"Ok. Let's go that way then." Kerri started off, but Kurt caught her arm.

"Vait, vhat about zhe crazy man vizh zhe gun?"

Kerri's eyebrows pinched. "Hmm, maybe he's not there anymore? We'll just be extra careful."

Kurt and Kerri started walking in the direction Kurt had teleported them from.

The sun was almost set as they walked, Kurt didn't notice much because of his night vision, but behind him Kerri was starting to have trouble seeing the details of the ground. She thought of how easy it would be to shift just her eyes, to see in the dark like she used to, when she was a cat living in the ally.

She looked up at the clouds in the fading light and saw mean, dark clouds behind them, west? And in front of them the moon was rising, fat and pregnant. She smiled, liking the look of it.

They continued on, until it was completely dark. It was colder now, and Kerri pulled Kurt's coat closer around her, shivering, and looked up at the sky. The moon stood out against the dark backdrop of sky, contrasting, and the incoming clouds complimented it nicely.

Suddenly, she felt as though she couldn't help herself, she lifted her mouth, closing her eyes, and a howl came from her, loud and piercing. Kurt's scent flooded over her, she could feel her ears, laid back along her head, her tail pressed out, catching on her waistband as it went out, she felt thick, warm fur come out along her spine.

She opened her eyes to see Kurt and his glowing eyes looking back at her. She realized she could see too well and blinked, making herself feel normal. When she opened her eyes again, her vision was considerably poorer. She managed a weak smile. "It, was a joke? Sorry," she looked down at the ground and mumbled, "bad at talking to people..."

* * *

"Ororo, you're doing well at keeping the storm away, I see." Charles complimented.

"Yes, people say I seem to have an affinity with weather," she told him with a smile.

"Indeed. I must say that I'm growing worried for the children, though, it's been too long it seems," he voiced his concerns to her.

"Maybe they don't want to come back yet?" She suggested.

"It has been about three hours since we sent Kurt out. Also, there is the problem of the alarm earlier. It was near where Cerebro registered Kurt using his powers, he made a trail away, but there was a small reading just now, and it was getting closer to the breach," he informed her.

"Should I get a team and go searching?" She asked, starting to grow concerned.

"I think that would be wise, take Logan and Hank, I think. I'll keep looking on Cerebro," he told her.

"Yes, Professor," she answered and set out.

* * *

They were closing in on where they had started, and was Kerri feeling very wolfy, the full moon was shining on her, and she knew she wasn't a werewolf by now, but it was still effecting her. 'I need to get out of the moonlight, as soon as possible,' she thought fuzzily. Kerri was feeling dizzy. She tripped over a rock, falling into Kurt's back.

Kurt felt Kerri run into him, letting out a strangled noise.

He turned around and helped her stand steady, seeing that her cheeks were paler than normal, a little red was left in some spots, and her lips were pale. He realized how long they had been out there, and how cold she must be, even though she wasn't saying anything.

Kurt held her up. "Kerri, are you ok?"

"Ja," she spoke back to him in German, confusing him.

"Kerri, vhat's wrong vizh you?"

"Nozhing, German boy," Kerri said, she sounded like she was fine, but she was saying things that were weird.

"Kerri, if I told you symptoms, could you tell me vhat vas wrong vizh somevone?" Kurt asked, becoming more concerned for her.

"Ja, tell me vhat zhe patiant is feelink," she said in a Sigmund Freud voice.

"She stumbles," Kurt started listing.

"Drunk!" Kerri proclaimed then laughed.

"She's pale," he added.

"Ginger!" Kerri cried out, laughing again.

"She's shaking, oh, Kerri, come here..." Kurt pulled her close to him, opening his coat and trying to pull her shivering body into the heat.

"Oh, my," she stopped laughing. "Kurt, you're so warm." She pressed closer to him, putting her head on his chest.

Something cold touched his cheek. He looked down and saw a glisten in her hair. "Kerri, your hair is vet! How could you give me your coat vizh zhe hood vhen you needed it for your vet hair? You're going to freeze!" Then it hit him, "Hypozhermia."

"Ja," Kerri said from his chest, "zhe doctor concedes."

"You mean, agrees?" He corrected.

"Ja." Kerri's eyes were closed and she was leaning on his chest heavily, she was so sleepy all of a sudden.

"Kerri, stay avake." Kurt shook her.

She sighed and moved away from him.

Kurt took off his coat and put it on her, pulling the hood up. "Let's sit down for a minute, maybe I have somezhing in here zu helfen..." {to help}

Kurt opened the bag and found a space blanket, that would help, a flashlight, he didn't need that, granola bars, that might help, water, maybe... He opened the granola bar and tried to get Kerri to eat it. "Kerri, it's delicious, come on."

Kerri looked up at him. "Are we still going to the school? We should keep going, it's getting dark." She could feel her body trying to grow fur, and she refused to let it happen. She kept thinking of the kids she'd scared. She didn't ever want to use her powers again. She didn't want to be a monster.

"Ja, Kerri eat zhis, put zhis on." Kurt tried to wrap the space blanket around her.

Kerri took a bite of the granola bar and stood up. "Kurt, you'd better put a jacket on, you're blue!" She giggled.

Kurt looked at her, was she making fun of him?

"Don't be silly! It's cute!" She giggled again. "Op! Now you're purple!" She referred to his blush.

"Kerri, uh, here..." He adjusted the space blanket around her, but she fought him.

"Kurt, you need a coat. Here, take this coat." She tried to take off the top coat to give it to him.

"Kerri, you need es, now keep zhis blanket on you," he tried to reason with her.

There was a crunching noise close by, a twig snapping, maybe. "Kerri, be quiet," Kurt said, on alert now.

Kerri sat down, even though she knew she needed to keep going, she was tired. She felt like reason was trying to talk to her through a fog covering her brain. Her body instinctively curled up, pulling the blanket around her.

Kurt glanced at Kerri, on the ground, then back in the direction of the noise. He saw what had caused it, the crazed man with the gun.

"There you are, muties! Mutie scum!" He cried out, then yelled as he caught sight of Kurt, "Demon!"

Kurt tried not to let it bother him, and to think of a way to keep him away from Kerri, some way to save her.

Kerri looked up, feeling the distress in the air, somehow. She saw the man with the gun, he was sounding angry, looking at Kurt.

She had to protect Kurt, that much she knew, was sure about.

She knew someone was coming, looking for them, she wasn't sure how she knew this, but she knew she could help. She lifted her head, looking at the moon, and let out a long, piercing howl.

* * *

"Aroooooo-oooooooooo," a howl pierced to air around them as the team of X-men searched for the students.

Storm looked up, pausing.

"A wolf?" Beast asked, half surprised, half sceptical.

"It's the kid," Wolverine said as he started running in the direction of the howl.

"Arooooo-oooooooooo," Kerri howled again as three bodies crashed through the underbrush towards them.

The three teachers took in the scene, Kerri on the ground in a shiny, silvery material, Kurt was standing in front of a man, fully blue and fuzzy, and the man again had his weapon weaving through the air.

Storm brought up a wind in preparation of a battle, and Wolverine's claws shot out with an audible "shing!" "What've we got here?" He asked menacingly.

"I believe he would be a trespasser, having hopped over the fence," Beast said, stepping closer and becoming visible.

At the sight, the man was stunned, two blue monsters?

Kurt took this chance to teleport above the man, who was startled by the noise and smoke, and landed on him, knocking him to the ground.

"Good work, Elf," Wolverine said, stepping closer and flashing his claws at the man. "You're lucky he got you first, bub."

The man was so afraid of this, he passed out, and Wolverine turned away, disgusted.

"Dr. McCoy, I zhink zhat Kerri has hypozhermia, can you help her?" Kurt asked as the other blue mutant picked up the unconscious man.

Beast smiled. "Don't worry, dear boy, we'll get her to the med lab, and I'll get her right as rain."

Storm was kneeling next to the near unconscious girl. "I think you're right about that, Kurt," she said as Wolverine picked her up, piggy back style.

Kurt followed close behind Logan as he carried Kerri to the med lab.


	17. If only first impressions were true

**[AN: Oh costume, you're almost done, even the opening and closing wings... And during a break from sewing I decided to put up a chapter! I hope you enjoy it!]**

* * *

Kerri was pressed against something, and something was pressing onto her from behind.

It was so nice and warm here, let's see, everything was a bit fuzzy, but the last place she remembered was, in Kurt's arms? "Mmmmm," she let out a hum of appreciation and rubbed her face across the soft warm thing in front of her, then thought of what that would mean. Shirt off. "Yummy..." she mumbled with a smile.

"Kerri, are you avake?" She heard the fuzzy blue teen ask. She giggled and opened her eyes, but instead of Kurt, she saw a humongous hot water tube, as tall as she was, almost, covered in a soft blanket. Her eyebrows drew together and she looked behind her to see another humongous water tube.

"Kerri, are you ok?" Kurt asked again from the chair next to her.

She looked up to him. "Where am I? What happened?"

"You're in zhe med lab, you had hypozhermia, but Dr. McCoy fixed you up," Kurt said, blushing as she sat up a little and the blankets slipped down her arm, revealing a bare shoulder.

Kerri propped herself up and looked around, finally noticing, "Kurt, you're still blue."

Her voice was light and Kurt thought that he could hear pleasure in it as well. "Ja, zhe professor and his friend are fixing mein inducer." He blushed purple.

Kerri realized her shoulder was bare, she looked and saw that the gown she was wearing had fallen down it, but it didn't bother her enough to fix it.

Hank came out of his office in the corner. "Miss Smith, I see that you're doing better today."

Kerri's mouth went from a smile to a frown. "What do you mean today? How long have I been here?"

"Only since yesterday," Kurt told her from her side.

"You're free to go after I run some tests, Kerri. Kurt, I'm sorry, I have to ask you to leave," Hank told them.

"Ok, I'll see you later," he told Kerri as he left.

* * *

"Here you go Kurt, it's all fixed up, but maybe you should keep it off for a while," Professor Xavier told him.

"Zhank you so much, Professor! I like having it on zhough." Kurt put his inducer on and watched his arm as his image fuzzed and turned into a normal person.

"I don't think you have to worry about anyone not liking the real you, Kurt," Xavier told him pointedly.

"I don't know..." He mumbled.

* * *

The anti mutant protest lasted the whole next week, and on Friday Kitty asked them all, "So, what are you going to do this weekend?"

Kurt looked at Kerri and said, "I'm free if you vant to practice tumbling tomorrow."

Kerri looked up at him then back down at her food and felt her cheeks heat. "Sure, I'll be free after danger room."

The next day Kerri got out of the danger room after doing more of Jean's mental tests, and went to the gym.

Kurt was already there when she arrived, and he had on a t-shirt and sweatpants again. She bit her lip as she imagined him without his inducer on, but had to stop when she thought she felt her tail trying to swish back and forth.

"You're getting better!" Kurt told her as she stretched into a set of splits after they finished practice.

"Yeah, but I'll never be good enough to join the circus," she told him jokingly.

"Sure you vill, vhy not?" Kurt joked back.

"Maybe in the freak show," she scoffed laughingly, although maybe it didn't come across as laughingly as she had meant it.

Kurt's eyes widened as he looked at her. 'Is her self-image zhat distorted?' He thought to himself questioningly.

"Sorry," she sighed, mentally kicking herself, 'So stupid!'

* * *

Kerri had spent the next week kind of avoiding Kurt off and on, not sure how she should act around him, especially after her comment about being in the freak show.

Then Friday was there was still a protest going on.

"What is wrong with those people? Don't they have a life? We're going to miss Valentines Day next Saturday!" Kitty whined.

Piotr looked up at her and held her hand across the table.

"You're right, Piotr. We'll figure something out." Kitty said.

Kerri raised her eyebrow to her lunch, trying to figure out how that had happened.

* * *

Kerri had spent the week trying to stay away from Kurt off and on, again, still unsure about where she stood with him.

The protesters had finally broken up and left, just in time for Kitty to celebrate that that Saturday they could go out to the movies.

As she and Kurt walked out of class to lunch she asked, "We need to get you and Kerri on a real date, that thing at the coffee shop didn't count. Haven't you and Kerri spent any time alone?"

"Nein, she just acts nervous and leaves..." Kurt told her.

"I thought that you said, that when you were on the bus on the way back here, that you told her you like her," Kurt nodded, "and I thought she said she likes you too?"

"Ja, she did," Kurt told her.

Kitty sighed and shook her head. "I thought it was supposed to be easier after you tell each other you like each other."

Kurt went to the table while Kitty waited for Kerri. He thought it was supposed to be easier, too, but Kerri still seemed to have issues being around him a lot of the time.

Kitty brought Kerri over to the table, and they were all there when Kitty started saying how glad she was that they could go to the movies for Valentines Day. "So, what are we going to go see tomorrow?"

It took all lunch, but Kitty and Kurt decided that there were at least four movies that started within fifteen minutes of each other, so they'd just go and decide then.

Kerri ate her lunch awkwardly, listening to them talk. She was wondering if Kurt would ask her, or if he wouldn't, of if Kitty would, or if anyone would.

At the end of lunch, though, no one had, and she went to the danger room feeling down.

"You ready, Kid?" Logan asked her through the speaker.

"Ready," she answered.

The room shifted and she was in the middle of the road. 'Odd,' she thought.

A bad guy came towards her and she dropped into a split as he made a move to punch her, then kicked his legs out from under him. He fell to the ground, but started attacking her, overwhelming her, probably due to her split attention.

She finally managed to stand up and held her fists together, pulling them back, even with her shoulder, before punching forward with all her might, right in his face. He fell back onto the ground and the simulation ended.

"You're off today," Logan told her from the speaker. "Get some rest."

Kerri walked out into the hallway and headed towards the library, still distracted by her emotions. She really had wanted to go to the movies with Kurt, but if he didn't want to go with her...

"Whatever..." She mumbled to herself.

She wasn't fond of Valentines Day anyway, no one had ever asked her out for it, and she was sure that part of it was that she had been in a school where everyone knew everyone else, so it was like they were all cousins somehow, but other people still managed to date. She was also sure that part of it was that she seemed weird to the other kids, quieter, shyer, she always seemed to get good grades, even though she never really did any homework.

Kerri tried to put this out of her mind as she walked into the library and straight back to the corner she usually sat in. She pulled out the book she was reading and tried to concentrate, but kept finding herself thinking about Valentines Day wistfully.

Maybe one year it would be different.

Kitty smacked Kurt on the arm. "Kurt, you do realize that you didn't ask Kerri to go to the movies at lunch, right?"

"Ow..." Kurt looked back, into the drama room he'd just come from, then at Kitty. "Vhat are you talking about? Ve said zhat ve are all going, ja?"

"Yeah, but this is a date, it requires a one on one invitation. And besides, what if Kerri wanted to dress up, but didn't know what to wear? You know, these things are important to girls, if I showed up in date clothes and Kerri didn't because she didn't know it was a date, she might get embarrassed and leave, or maybe think that you don't like her, because you didn't ask her out," Kitty explained while Kurt tried to understand.

"Zhat's veird, Kitty, I already told Kerri zhat I like her." Kurt shook his head. 'Girls are veird...'

"You told her that you like her, and what has that done? I still see you in the same place as before, both of you blushing at the lunch table, too worried about what the other one thinks to notice that you're staring at each other, you'll never kiss her that way!" Kitty exclaimed and a few of the other students in the hall turned to look at them. "Besides, you have to keep telling girls that you like them!"

Kurt's hologram reddened a little. "I zhink zhat somevone down zhe hall didn't hear you, Kitty." He turned and started walking away, heading toward the library to study.

When he got there, he automatically looked for Kerri, and saw her at her normal table, with a book open but her head on the table. He walked up uncertainly. "Hallo..."

Kerri was lost in her swirling sea of miserable thoughts, face down on the table when she heard a voice. She half mistook it for her imagination because of how much she had been thinking about Kurt coming and asking her out.

"Do you mind if I sit here?" Kurt's voice asked.

"Suit yourself, it's a free country, and I own neither table nor chair," she announced through her arms.

Kurt sat down and watched Kerri laying her head on the table. Something was definitely wrong. Could it really be that she thought he didn't like her? No, he'd told her he did.

But she had yelled at him after that, and had tried to stay away from him. And before, right before he'd told her, she was saying how she knew he didn't like her. He'd tried not to let it show, but if even professor Xavier could tell without reading his mind...

'Girls are veird,' he decided and looked back to Kerri, who didn't look like she had moved.

Maybe he should ask her, just to be clear. He felt his face warm, and knew that his hologram must be reflecting his blush, turning it red instead of purple.

Kerri sighed and closed the book before setting it down and folding her arms above her head on the table. She wasn't going to get any reading done right now, and she should get away from people so that she could express the emotions that were crashing around inside of her without worrying about turning into a monster and scaring the boy she had a crush on.

She sat up and was about to start gathering her things when Kurt spoke.

"Kerri, uh, I realized zhat ve vere talking about going to zhe movies at lunch..." Kerri met his eyes and waited for him to continue. "Vell, um, I vas vondering, are you going to go?" He finished lamely, and immediately started kicking himself mentally.

"Well, it sounds kind of like a date, so probably not," Kerri said quietly, keeping her face carefully emotionless.

"Vhat? Vhy?" Kurt burst out before he could think about it.

Kerri paused, then told him, "Well, I, wasn't invited. And I don't want to get in the way of anyone else."

'Wow, she really still doesn't zhink zhat I like her...' Kurt thought, shocked. "Kerri, um, do you vant to go vizh me? To zhe movies?"

Kerri's face turned down slightly. "Don't ask me that because you feel sorry for me," she told him, a demanding tone in her voice.

Kurt's face showed his confusion. "Kerri, I vouldn't do zhat, I really vant to know if you vant to go on a date vizh me to zhe movies." He realized what he had said. He'd asked her out, and had no speaking issues! He was amazed for a moment, but remembered that she hadn't answered, and that he'd better listen to see if she'd go with him.

Kerri's cheeks turned a light pink. "A, a date?" She asked through a stutter. 'He really wants to go on a date with me?'

"Ja," Kurt told her, worried by her hesitation.

Kerri bit her bottom lip and tried not to jump up and dance in happiness; the guy she liked wanted to go on a date with her!

Kurt thought it was cute when Kerri bit her lip. 'Und I could kiss it better after she's bitten it so viciously...' Kurt blushed at his thoughts and embarrassedly spouted, "Ja, ah, vird, so dass Sie auf einen Termin mit mir gehen?" {Yeah, uh, so will you go on a date with me?}

Kerri's eyes squinted in confusion. "Vas ist ein Termin?" She asked. {What is a 'Termin'?}

"Oh, uh, a date." Kurt tried to stop his face from going red.

Kerri was unsure, she wanted to go out with him, she really did, but something nagged in the back of her head that something was bound to go wrong, there were too many variants that might make her slip with her control... that she didn't deserve it.

Kitty's words rang in Kurt's head again; _"You have to keep telling a girl that you like her." _"Kerri, I like you, vill you go out vizh me?" He almost couldn't hear himself through the blood rushing to his head. "Bitte?"

Kerri bit her lip again, but her face reflected her shy happiness anyway. "Ok."

* * *

The next morning Kerri shuffled through her closet, looking for something to wear.

"How is it possible that I have nothing that could be considered date clothes?!" She agonized. "Augh, what do you even wear on a date?"

She tried to think back, she'd been to the school dance her middle school had every year, it was a school wide party with music in the gym, a movie in the auditorium, and bingo in the lunchroom, but you just wore whatever you wore to school, because it was during school, but having never been invited to a high school dance, or a date, she was at a loss.

"Something cute..." She went through again, trying to find something cute.

There was a skirt, she knew, and she had a shirt that was baggy, but cute; it was a swirl of blue and green, with butterflies flying from the bottom corner to the top opposite corner.

There was a knock at the door and Kerri froze, standing in the middle of all the clothes spread on the floor.

"Kerri, it's Kitty, let me in... I came to see what you're going to wear," Kitty called through the door.

"Clothes," Kerri answered, still standing motionless among the clothes.

"I know that, but what ones? Can I come in?" Kerri could almost hear the eye roll in her voice.

"I guess..." Kerri felt embarrassed, she could pick her own clothes, she wasn't a child.

Kitty walked into the room. "Wow," she commented. "So, what have you got so far?"

After showing Kitty all her clothes, Kerri sat on the bed as Kitty moved them back and forth, into piles, this would go with this, this with that...

Kitty finally picked up the green and blue butterfly shirt. "This is cute, but it's too baggy to go with that skirt... The skirt's too long anyway... Oh!" She jumped up. "I'll be right back!"

Kerri watched Kitty run out of the room, phasing through the door. "Ok..." She answered to herself, and almost immediately Kitty phased back through the door.

"I've got it," she told Kerri.

"Should I be afraid?" Kerri asked, unsure how to feel about the box in Kitty's hand and the look on her face.

* * *

Kerri stood in front of the mirror in her room, but with her back to it; Kitty wouldn't let her turn around yet because she wasn't done.

Kitty had led the revolution on Kerri's only cute clothes, putting slits in the arms of her shirt and somehow making it look like it was tied back together, doing that down the sides of the shirt as well, making Kerri have to wear a white tank top under it, and making it look sexier and tighter, she'd said. And it was tighter, now instead of flowing around her, almost like a tent, it was almost fitted to her body, tight across the chest, but a little loose around her stomach.

She'd taken the long black skirt and folded it in thirds, using safety pins to hold it in place so that it looked like there were three layers and it puffed out a little, also making it come only down to a couple of inches above Kerri's knee, flirty yet covering, she'd said.

Then she'd set to work on Kerri's hair. She trimmed and shaped the bangs, then brushed it out and tried to give it a little volume at the top, then let it hang down around Kerri's face. "No, it's too long that way." She took the ends and moved them around, finally gathering the hair together half way down and putting different colored ponytail holders in, a blue that matched her shirt, then a little farther down a green one that matched her shirt, but was low enough to stand out against the black skirt, and draw attention to her butt, careful to leave enough hair at the end to flow out, so it didn't look too pinned in. She used a straightening iron to somehow curl the bangs so they stood out and framed her eyes, then went around Kerri's head, picking, pinning, and spraying, getting it to look just right.

Kerri was starting to feel like a doll, getting dressed, styled, and now Kitty was going for make up, something that Kerri didn't usually wear, and in fact didn't really know how to use.

"Eye liner, to pop," Kitty mumbled as she applied it to just the corners of Kerri's eyes then along the top. "Mascara to bolden, now blink, again," Kerri blinked repeatedly, "now a little pink on your cheeks since you're so pale," it was so light Kerri wondered if anything had actually stuck to her. "And a little red, berry, not fire engine, mind you," she took out a marker that smelled strange to Kerri. "This is a stain, so you won't have to worry about reapplying, there we go, now lip gloss, and we're done!"

Kitty stood back and admired her work, exclaiming, "Masterpiece!"

Kerri felt apprehension twisting in her stomach, would she look good? Or more like a pile of poo with sprinkles on it, like she feared?

Kerri slowly turned around to look in the mirror, eyes closed.

"Come on," Kitty laughed, "I'm not that bad at this, you know!"

Kerri opened her eyes and was confused. For a moment, she didn't recognize herself. But she blinked, and so did the girl in the mirror, so it must be her. She had only a little makeup on, highlighting her eyes and bringing a little color to her cheeks, also making her lips look like she was ready to be kissed, she blushed a little at this thought, but it made the girl in the mirror look even cuter, in a shy sort of way.

She stepped back to admire her clothes, and they were cute, enough color to stand out, but enough dark that she didn't feel uncomfortable, tight enough that it showed off her chest but loose enough that you couldn't see lines from the double shirt, short enough that it showed off her nicely toned legs, but long enough that she wasn't flashing anything else, she noticed that her hair framed her face, but hung down enough that it wasn't too focused in one area.

"Amazing," Kerri said to the her in the mirror.

"I know," Kitty bragged from behind her. "Now put on these and lets go." She handed Kerri a pair of boots, they were black, had only about an inch of heel, and went to Kerri's ankle. She wasn't too fond of them, but she had to admit that they showed off her legs pretty well.

"Now you'll be the same height as Kurt!" Kitty giggled.

Kerri looked up at the laughing girl, realizing that it was true, she'd only been about an inch and a half shorter than him before.

Kitty took Kerri's hand and pulled her along, phasing out of the room through the door, and went to her room, where she got ready.

Kerri sat on the bed and looked around, there were posters from movies, bands, and on the nightstand a framed picture of Piotr. Kerri watched Kitty brush her hair as she finished it.

She was wearing a short pink dress with a low slung belt, tan boots that went up to her knees, and a black long sleeved sweater that covered her bare arms.

She finished by putting her hair into a complex looking ponytail and curling it so that it fell around her face sexily, then freshening her makeup.

Kerri tilted her head and stared in wonder; how was it that she looked like a cute little high schooler, but Kitty looked like a sexy woman? They were only about six months apart. Maybe it had something to do with virginity?

Kerri blushed and looked away quickly.

"Ok, are you ready to go? The guys should be about ready to meet us at the doors." Kitty turned and looked at her.

"Ok." Kerri said, trying not to sound like a little kid.


	18. Swear I'm not a serial killer just weird

**[AN: I had a little more info I had to get in somehow, so I stuck in here, and you can see how some of the other X-Men are spending Valentines Day. Anyway, here it is, I hope you enjoy it! Please feel free to whatever, including asking questions or reviewing with harsh critiques, as long as they're constructive!]**

* * *

Kerri followed Kitty towards the stairs, nervously.

What if Kurt didn't like the way she looked dressed up? What if he didn't like the make up, or the skirt, or the crazy shirt?

She was nervous about them because she never wore those things, even the skirt, she'd only taken it because she thought it was cute, she didn't think she'd ever get the courage to wear it, especially this short.

Piotr and Kurt stood by the front doors, and again Kurt was nervously pacing.

"Just tell her that she looks pretty," Piotr told him.

"Vhat?" Kurt paused and turned to him, having missed what he'd said.

"Just tell her that she looks pretty," Piotr repeated, then added, "and don't try to rush and do anything you're not ready for."

This caught Kurt off guard. "Vhat do you mean?"

"Don't kiss her if you're not ready, it might turn awkward," Piotr answered.

Kurt wondered why he wouldn't be ready to kiss her right now, after all, he'd thought about kissing her more than once...

"Here they come." Piotr alerted him, and Kurt looked up to see Kitty almost running down the stairs to Piotr and grabbing his hand.

Kerri followed much more slowly, stepping down, one step at a time.

The first thing Kurt noticed was the bright shirt with butterflies on it and the holes and ties all along the sides, then he noticed the skirt and gulped involuntarily at how much leg she was showing, they were long and he had trouble not staring. He couldn't see her face very well, though, because she was watching the floor as she walked.

Kerri stood at the top of the stairs and took a breath before looking at the ground and starting to descend. 'Just one step at a time, one foot in front of the other, just put one foot in front of the other, and soon you'll be-' the song tune started flowing through her memory. 'Gah, I shouldn't be thinking of songs from Christmas specials, I should be concentrating on not falling...'

She reached the bottom and walked up to Kurt, looking up shyly, and her lip quirked into a small, shy half-smile.

Kurt felt his breath catch and he forgot how to make words for a moment. "Ach, ah, Sie schon aussehen..." He blushed as he realized he had spoken in German. "I- I said-" {you look beautiful}

Kerri blushed and looked at the ground. "I know what you said."

Kurt froze again, how was it possible that she looked even cuter by blushing?

Kitty giggled. "Let's go!" She turned and opened the door, revealing the car that Piotr had borrowed from the garage for the date.

Kerri sat in the front seat with Piotr, while Kitty sat in the back seat with Kurt whispering, telling him hints for the date; "Unless the mood is right, don't kiss her, or try to, until the end of the date, if you're walking, you can hold her hand, if she tilts her head and it's pointed away from you, she's not into it, if it's towards you, she's into it, if she's looking down, she hasn't decided, but if she's _blushing_ and looking down, she likes it but she's shy, if..."

Kurt wondered how he was supposed to remember all of this.

They pulled into the parking lot and climbed out of the car, Kitty still trying to talk, and Kerri trying to make sure her skirt wasn't up somewhere, showing off her underwear.

It was interesting how different she felt with the different clothes on, almost like before she had started being quiet; outgoing, light-hearted, making jokes all the time (even though they were strange).

As they walked up to the board, Kerri saw that one side said, "For the season! Valentine! Hold your loved one close as you witness the horror!" She stopped walking, interested.

Horror was her favorite, she especially liked laughing at all the things that didn't make sense, like when someone was unmasked as the killer, but he couldn't be because he was in the same scene with the killer earlier, and how stupid the people acted; who'd really hang around a house when there's a killer there, when there's a car, or the neighbor's house right there?

Kitty looked up at the shows, trying to find a romantic show, maybe that'd give them some ideas of how to act around each other.

Kurt walked back to Kerri. "Vhat's up?"

Kerri pointed up at the board. "A horror movie for Valentines Day, it's awesome!"

Kurt looked back down to her, startled. She sounded so excited, very different from her normally reserved self. "You like horror movies?" He asked.

Kerri nodded and looked over at him. "My favorite."

Kurt was still wondering at the transformation, her face was so light and free with no trace of the stress and pressure that was normally there. He couldn't help but wonder about what it could be that was making her more at ease. "I'll be right back," he told her before going back over to Kitty.

Kerri nodded as he walked away.

Kitty watched Kurt come up to her. "Kerri likes horror movies," he told her.

Her eyebrow raised, but then a grin spread over her face. 'Perfect.' "Ok, let's see that one. Now Kurt, not when the movie starts, but early on, put your arm around her, then in the scary parts she can cuddle close!"

Kurt blushed and looked to see if Kerri was listening.

They walked up to the ticket booth, Piotr on one side, Kitty at the window, excited that she could buy tickets to R- rated movies now, Kurt just behind her, and Kerri just to his left, leaning down a little with her head only coming up to just below Kurt's shoulder, trying to make sure her skirt wasn't showing anything she didn't want it to.

The ticket man looked over them and commented to Kitty, "It's so sweet that you're bringing your little sister on your date!"

Kitty looked a little shocked, but a trouble making smile crept over Kerri's face.

She started giggling like a little girl and said, still bent down, "She's the best! She takes me to all the scary movies and doesn't make me close my eyes when they do the naked hug! And I even get to cuddle and kiss her boyfriend!" She grabbed Kurt's arm and pressed herself against him.

Everyone stared at her, shocked, but she just laughed at the look on the man's face.

Kurt tried to think of something so say, but his mind was muddled by Kerri pressing against him; her breasts were pushing against his arm and side.

Kitty tried to go along with it, used to Kurt and his jokes. "Yeah, just don't tell mom... Kerri you have to stand up, it's too funny," she burst out laughing at the look on the ticket guy's face.

Kerri stood up, still holding onto Kurt's arm. His brain fuzzed even more and tried to jump into the gutter as her breasts moved up his body.

Kerri didn't seem to notice though.

They got the tickets and went into the theater, finding seats in the middle for good sound.

"You guys have fun, we're going to sit over here," Kitty told them, sitting a few rows behind Kerri and Kurt, with Piotr.

Kerri and Kurt watched them walk away and both grew nervous.

Kerri suddenly felt self-conscious about what she'd done earlier, and turned her face away from Kurt. 'Jeez, I'm so stupid and weird. He probably thinks I'm a freak...' She peeked at him and saw that Kurt was watching the movie trivia on the screen, like nothing had happened.

She looked at the screen and realized,'Oh no! He's going to think I'm even weirder when I start laughing at a horror movie! Like I'm a serial killer or something!' Her face shot to look at him again, worried. 'Maybe if I apologize, he won't think it's so bad.' Kerri took a nervous breath, "Uh, Kurt, I- I'm sorry about back there, outside..." Kurt turned to look at her and she continued hesitantly, "it- it was supposed to be a joke and- I'm sorry if I weirded you out, or anything..."

Kurt stared into her cute, blushing face. She thought she'd weirded him out? He wondered how she'd gotten that impression, when he'd been trying to not embarrass them all by grabbing her and kissing her out of nowhere. It had been hard, too, she was so damn cute.

Kurt pushed his thoughts from his mind and smiled, trying to reassure her. "Don't vorry about it, Kerri, it vas funny."

The lights dimmed and the previews started, so they didn't have a chance to continue the conversation.

When the movie finally started Kurt tried to look for the chance to put his arm around Kerri's shoulders, but when he looked at her, he saw disgust on her face. He looked at the screen, wondering what she was grossed out by.

On the screen, two of the junior high school kids had been kissing. 'Oh no, vhat if she doesn't like kissing?!' Kurt suddenly worried.

'Eeeeew,' Kerri thought as the girl told another group of kids that the boy was attacking her. 'Who'd believe that that kid was sexually assaulting her? They're in middle school, for cripes sakes!'

Kurt was worrying about when he should put his arm around Kerri, and if she liked kissing. On the screen a woman was killed, and Kurt heard a squeak from besides him.

'Uh-oh, did I vait too long?' He wondered as he looked over at Kerri and saw her sitting in the chair, her feet on the edge of the seat and her chin tucked behind her knees. A small squeak came from her again.

Kerri started laughing as the girl thought she could hide from the killer in a body bag. 'He'll see it move! Don't zip it up, they're air tight, you'll suffocate in there!' She realized that she was laughing, and that Kurt would think she was weird, so she brought up her knees and scooted down a little in the chair, hiding her mouth so he couldn't see her laugh, and tried to keep silent.

Kurt watched Kerri out of the corner of his eye, trying to gauge when it would be a good time to put his arm around her, and during a particularly bright moment, Kurt saw Kerri's leg, bare and long, so soft looking, right there, it went all the way down to, her underwear?!

Kurt blinked and looked closer in shock. The bright moment was over, but he had night vision, so he could see the little sliver of purple fabric right on the chair.

He looked away quickly. 'Mein Gott, ich sah ihr Unterwasche.' Kurt blushed and tried not to look back down. {My God, I saw her panties}

He was nervous and tried not to look at them again, or think about when to kiss her, thinking it might lead to a daydream, and forgot about putting his arm around her all together.

But Kerri didn't look like she was trying to cuddle into him as Kitty had suggested she might. Did that mean that she didn't like him?

As they left the theater Kerri felt a little better, she looked nice, thanks to Kitty, she'd gone on her first date, with a really cute guy, even if he had his hologram on, and he hadn't heard her laughing at a horror movie, so he didn't think she was a serial killer.

Minus the thing at the ticket window, it was a great evening.

And she hadn't even slipped with her powers. That made it an amazing evening!

A real smile spread across her face.

Kitty walked close to Kerri as they walked to the car. "So, how did you like the movie?"

"It was good. What about you?" She answered.

A smile spread on Kitty's face. "I didn't see much of it, to tell you the truth."

Kerri's eyes widened and she blushed a little and said, "Oh." Not realizing that Kitty meant that she had been staring at her and Kurt to see if they were making progress, not making out with Piotr.

Kurt had been enjoying the smile on Kerri's lips as they walked, when Kitty came up her. She came to him next. "So Kurt, I noticed you didn't put your arm around Kerri... What happened?"

Kurt blushed. "Vell, I tried..." Kitty stared at him accusingly. "But I got too nervous..."

"Mm-hmm," she hummed, unbelieving. "And what made that happen?"

Kurt blushed a deep, beet red. "Ah, nozhing..."

Kitty's accusing glare hardened at him, and she narrowed her eyes.

"I- it- I-," Kurt swallowed hard, knowing that she'd never give up until he told her. "I- I saw her undervear..." He whispered and felt that, despite all laws of physics, his blush deepened.

Kitty's eyes shot open wide. "You what?! That fox!" She turned to look at Kerri, who was walking a yard or two in front of them. "So, she acts all shy, but she's really a naughty girl, huh?"

Kurt felt the need to defend Kerri's honor. "Nein!" He said a little too loudly, then whispered, "It's not like zhat! She didn't know Zhat I saw zhem..."

"So you're a peeper? I never would've guessed!" Kitty giggled.

"Kitty, nein, it's not like zhat eizher, she vas sitting in zhe chair, and her skirt came up against the chair, somehow, I guess, and I looked over, and saw zhem, zhat's all!" Kurt pleaded.

Kitty sighed, "Ok," and hurried up to catch up with Piotr.

On the way home Kitty sat in the front with Piotr, and Kerri and Kurt were in the back.

Kurt had his hand out, in between the two seats, as he switched between looking at Kerri watching out the window and looking out his window.

Kerri's hand touched his, and she jumped with the emotional shock that felt like it went straight up her arm and across her chest, through her inner being. "Oh, I- I'm sorry." She blushed and scooted her hand away.

Kurt felt a shock move through him as her hand touched his, but it left when she moved her hand.

He wanted that shock back. "Kein problem," he said, and, feeling a little bold, put his hand closer, so they just touched again. {no problem, yes, problem is spelled the same in German, lol}

Kurt saw a moment of Kerri's face lighting up before she turned away, leaving her hand there. Kurt blushed and looked at the window, trying to catch the reflection of her face in the reflection of his window.

Kerri's smile was so big, she almost couldn't contain it, and her eyes had to close to make room on her face. She turned her head to the window, hiding her, she was sure, stupid look, and tried to keep from dancing from joy.

* * *

"Her danger room training is going well, although she still refuses to use her powers. She seems to be very good at compartmentalizing away pain, possible that she was physically or sexually abused? She doesn't have any outward signs or characteristics of physical abuse, though she is a tough and defiant spirit, much like her mentor." Charles spoke, his voice recording software taking down his notes about the progress Kerri had made.

Which was not a lot.

He flipped through the reports Jean had given him again. "She seems to have only limited use of her extended senses, mostly in feeling emotions. Possible ability to project emotions?"

He set down the papers. "After visiting her mother in the hospital, her walls seem to be lowered a little... Although she was blank when she arrived back, she does seem to have resolved some of her issues, and is talking to others more. Could be related to her finding someone..." He paused, unsure what her exact relationship status with Kurt was. "That she likes romantically," he settled on.

"I have been assured that the relationship looks like a normal teenage affair, although it is moving at a snail's pace. Possibly due to her anxiety about her powers and feelings that she is a monster inside..."

He looked at a paper that Ororo had given him. "Her romantic interest is shared by the boy, and no worries should arise from pressuring by him."

Charles put down his papers. "Note, her powers seem to be caused by emotions; emotional feelings turning into physical manifestations, though these are just unproven theories, due to her unwillingness to use or talk about her powers. She does, however, seem to be almost ready for a team-mate in the danger room."

* * *

Ororo and Hank sat in the kitchen, enjoying a mug of coffee and a conversation.

"They've been gone for a while," Hank commented.

"Yes, I believe they were going to a movie," Ororo told him. "By the way, Happy Valentine's Day, Hank."

"Happy Valentine's Day, Ororo." He chuckled. "Such a strange way to celebrate Saint Valentinus, one would think there would be more people running off and getting married in secret, like Romeo and Juliet, they knew how to celebrate Valentine's Day. Happy Valentine's Day, Logan," he added as the burly man entered the kitchen. "Are you excited that your mentor-ee is out on a social date?"

Logan looked up at the pair at the table, pulling a beer out of the staff fridge and popping the top off with one of his blades. "What was that, bub?"

"Our pupils are out on a date together," Ororo told him.

"Huh, good for them," Logan said, taking a swig of the dark liquid.

"You're not worried about what might happen out there in the cold, dark, wide open world?" Scott asked as he walked into the room to pull out soda from the fridge.

"Kid can take care of herself," Logan brushed him off with another swig.

"Of course she can, she's your student for a reason, but who's going to save the other students and the rest of the world from her? Or does she already have better control over herself than her mentor?" Scott dug at Logan and refused to leave, making the same leaning against the counter pose as him.

"I already have more restraint than you, tight ass, see? Watch me leave the situation," Logan said as he walked out.

Hank chuckled and Scott's sunglass covered eyes turned to him. "He's influencing her to disrespect me in class, you know."

Hank looked up to the man. "I seem to remember that she talked back to you moments after arriving here and meeting you, before she'd even talked to Logan."

Ororo stayed silent, choosing not to voice her opinion and bring Scott's agitation onto herself.

Scott let it drop. "So, who all is in the group?"

Ororo spoke gently, not wanting to give anything away. "Kurt and Kitty are with Kerri, I believe Piotr drove them to the movies."

Scott nodded. "Good, Piotr should be able to make sure they are safe, too."

Ororo and Hank shared a look, grateful that Scott could be so dense sometimes; Kitty was finally eighteen, but she was still a student, and even though Piotr wasn't a school staff, Scott was a stickler for rules.


	19. What's wrong?

**[AN: This one is extra long, because I needed to end it in the right place, because it's going to be a cliffhanger! Muhahaha! You have been warned! Hope you enjoy it!]**

* * *

It was Friday again, and Kerri had had a wonderful week. She sat at lunch with everyone, and didn't feel weird a lot of the time, she even caught Kurt staring at her once or twice. Her smile widened as she headed to lunch.

This was the best time she'd had since her dad had died, which solidified her thoughts that if she ever wanted to have a normal life, be married to anyone, she had to not use her powers, ever. Just try and be the most normal, non mutant type she could be.

She sat across from Kurt while Kitty sat next to him, across from Piotr.

"So, are you going to come to the mall with us tomorrow?" Kitty asked casually, thinking that the answer had better be yes, or she was going to lecture these two about how to be a couple.

Although he tried not to stare, Kurt had noticed that Kerri's face had a little more color, and her eyes, although they still looked like something was bothering her, were clear green-blue and the pain of the past had left them.

He looked up to her as Kitty asked her to come to the mall, would she say yes?

She watched her fork playing with her food and bit her lip, looking unsure.

"Bitte?" He asked softly. {please}

Kerri looked up at Kurt. His face was serious and his eyes were also asking please. "Ok," she told them, her cheeks heating a little as she looked back to her lunch.

That afternoon in the danger room, Kerri fought Logan, getting flipped to the floor.

She knew she could have tapped into her powers and used her better than average agility to land on her feet after flipping away, but she purposely didn't.

She had taken to thinking of this as practice for not using her powers.

Logan put out his hand to help her up, but she swept her legs under her, kicking his legs and jumping away at the same time.

"Good, I think we're done for today," Logan said as he got up from the floor.

"Thanks." She smiled as she walked out to the gym locker room, where's she'd changed into her exercise clothes and forgotten her regular clothes.

As she walked down the hall, the bell rang and the halls were flooded with students glad that the school day was almost over. Kerri wrapped her arms around herself self-consciously.

She knew that she had lost weight from being homeless, and even more from working out every day, but she was still a little self-conscious, especially in spandex aerobics clothes.

She got to the locker room and pulled off her shirt to change. While her arms were over her head Kerri caught herself in the mirror on the wall. She lifted her arms up and saw that her stomach didn't poke out the way it used to, she had a some meat, so no bones were sticking out, but she didn't jiggle when she bounced anymore, except in the good places, of course.

When Kerri had showered and changed, she went to the library, thinking about how she had gotten so skinny without noticing.

True, her pants had gotten looser and looser, but she hadn't really noticed because she had a nice sash that she'd found, and had started using it as a belt a while ago. She would have liked to keep it as a sash, hanging down her side, but it felt too much like a tail, which made her nervous about having her tail come out randomly.

When she got to the library and sat down, she only had a moment to wait before Kurt joined her. "Hallo," he smiled and sat down, pulling out a notebook and pen.

"Hi," she answered, smiling and pulling out her own homework.

The next morning Kerri was awakened by a knocking at her door and a voice, "Kerri, wake up, we have to pick out your clothes!"

"Go away Kitty, it's too early!" Kerri called back through the door. Kitty phased through the door just as Kerri was saying, "And you better not come through that door, 'cause I sleep naked!"

"No you don't," Kitty said a little ways away. "I can see your pajamas."

Kerri sighed and opened her eyes. "Ok, I'm up."

Kerri again sat on the bed and watched Kitty go through her closet. Kitty pulled out a pair of nice, not worn out jeans, and she found a nice long-sleeved shirt to go with them. "I can pick out my own clothes, you know," Kerri told her evenly.

"So? It's funner this way!" Kerri laid back down, intent on going back to sleep until Kitty had found whatever she was looking for, but shot up when she heard Kitty loudly exclaim, "Oh my gosh! Why didn't you tell me you had this, where did you get it, I've got just the thing to go with it!" Then she phase through the door taking the piece of clothing with her.

Kerri blushed, she was pretty sure that she'd found the green off the shoulder sweater that Kerri had hidden in a drawer. It wasn't super sexy or revealing, or anything, but Kerri didn't have the confidence to wear it.

Kitty phased back through the door with a pair of leggings. "And your boots!"

Kerri felt her face flush self-consciously. Spandex again. In public. How humiliating could it get?

After Kerri had put on the clothes, she took out a pair of multi colored knee-high socks and pulled them on.

"Ooo, those are cute, you should pull them over the pants!" Kitty told her.

Kerri looked at her like she was nuts, wear your socks over your pants? Weird. And she usually kept her crazy colored thing hidden.

She always had one, something that was different and stood out, but it was socks, or underwear so she could keep it hidden, like the tender part of her self that she was afraid to let anyone see or touch.

In the end she went along with Kitty, too tired to argue still, and pulled her boots over her socks, over the pants, and had a tank top under the sweater so her bra didn't show. Then they went down to eat breakfast and meet up with Piotr and Kurt.

Kurt watched as Kerri walked toward him. It was strange seeing her this early, she usually didn't come to breakfast, or ate before, he wasn't sure.

She sat down with her eyes closed and he got the feeling that she usually slept until class started.

"Guten morgan, Kerri," he said to her.

"Zu fruh," she mumbled and started pealing her orange. {early (also means too early)}

"Vofur?" Kurt asked, enjoying the German back and forth. {for what}

"Huh?" Kerri opened her eye and looked at him confused.

"Fur vas?" He simplified to her. {for what}

"Aufgabe," She told him as she put a piece of orange into her mouth. {Work}

Kurt laughed, "Keine aufgabe heute." {There's no work today}

Kitty watched them talk back and forth as they all ate, wondering what they were talking about, and hoping it had to do with liking each other.

"Ah," Kerri raised her finger, "aber nach ihr." She pointed at Kitty, "es ist nicht zu fruh fur ihr, fur bekommen schon." Kerri stuck her tongue out, making a face, then ate another piece of orange. {but not according to her, it's not early for her, for getting beautiful}

"Hey, talk about yourselves here!" Kitty said, guessing that Kerri was talking about her from the finger pointed in her direction.

"Ja," Kerri answered back, opening her eyes, finally feeling a little awake. {ok}

Kurt laughed. "Ja, sie ist vie die." {yeah, she is like that}

"So ich sehe," Kerri said, starting to cut her stack of pancakes. {so I see}

Kurt blushed a little, but felt bold. "Sie sind sehr schon heute." {You're very beautiful today}

Kerri's hand paused, half way to her mouth. "Sie?" She pointed at Kitty with her fork, wondering why he'd tell her what he thought about how Kitty looked. {She?}

"Nein, du," Kurt laughed, "'sie' ist 'you' auch." {No, you, 'sie' is 'you' too}

Kerri blushed and looked back to her plate, her elbow coming to support her on the table, and her shoulders sinking, making her get closer to the table. "Ich vissen dass nicht..." {I didn't know that}

"Vas? Dass du schon bist, oder dass sie das auch gemeint?" He immediately dreaded what she was going to say back. It had been a while since he had been that forward with a girl. {What that you're beautiful, or that it meant that too}

Kerri, blushed as he said that she was beautiful again, and asked, "What's that last part?"

"Zhat it meant zhat too," Kurt told her, glad that she wasn't yelling at him.

"Then both..." Kerri answered, her arm laying down on the table and her shoulders lowering even farther.

"Both what?" Kitty asked, nosing her way into their conversation.

"Nothing," Kerri blushed and laid her head on her arm on the table, poking her pancakes with her fork.

Kurt couldn't help himself from admiring the curve of her neck as she laid her head there, he wanted to kiss it, then her, then her again, then- Kurt blushed as he realized where his thoughts were going.

* * *

After they'd all finished breakfast and piled into the car that Piotr had again borrowed, they arrived at the mall.

"Where are we going first?" Kitty asked as they all piled out.

"To zhe food court!" Kurt called out.

"You just ate, Kurt!" Kitty reprimanded him laughingly, and Kerri smiled, laughing silently.

"Ja, I vas just kidding!" Kurt laughed back.

They walked through the mall, looking at the stores, showing each other interesting things, having fun.

Kerri stayed mostly silent, although with a small smile on her face. She hung back a little, but showed them a few things that she found funny, the ones she thought were normal enough that they'd think they were funny too.

After a few hours of Kitty trying on clothes, her pestering Kerri by asking if she wanted to try anything on too, and just generally wandering around having fun, they decided to leave.

As they walked down one hall, toward the exit, Kerri stopped, seeing a shop full of shiny bladed edges. She gravitated to the window, admiring all the weapons.

Kurt saw her stop and followed her. "Vhat are you looking at?"

Kerri pointed. "Look at that, it's beautiful."

Kurt looked at it, it was a very nice sword. "Do you know how to use zhem?"

"My dad started teaching me," Kerri said, stepping away from the window and looking around for Kitty and Piotr.

Kurt took a last look at the swords and they started off to catch up to the other two. "Aber, but I zhought your dad died vhen you vere young?"

Kerri nodded. "He started teaching me when I was six."

"Six!" Kurt looked at her shocked.

Kerri nodded again. "Well, the first year was safety stuff, don't touch the edge, don't touch anyone else with the edge, don't run with it, don't swing it around wildly, it's not a toy..." She ticked off on her fingers.

Kurt thought back to his life at the circus, they'd never told him they weren't toys. Probably wouldn't have made sense if they had, what with everybody throwing them around and juggling them and such. "Do you still vant to learn?"

Kerri looked at him questioningly.

"I was zhe "Incredible Nightcrawler," you know. I vas a svashbuckling acrobat, zhat trained to save zhe princess!" He jumped ahead into a fencing stance, his tail whipping out behind him, but he quickly pulled it back into his hologram, looking around nervously.

Kerri chuckled quietly. "And how old were you at the time? Havn't you gone to school here for a long time?"

Kurt turned back to her. "I've only been here for two years, actually, if you can believe it."

Kerri smiled. 'And such a vonderful smile,' he thought, 'makes me vant to-' He shook his head, trying to get rid of the thought of kissing her.

"It is surprising, actually. Your accent is really good," she told him.

"Vhy, zhank you, zhank you!" He bowed to her in a showman's bow.

Kerri's smile grew and she silently chuckled a little.

* * *

Kurt stood in the danger room that afternoon, waiting for the simulation to begin. "Here it comes, Kurt," Ororo announced from the control room. The room fizzed around him and he was on a mountain top covered in grass and flowers. He looked down, thinking, 'Maybe I should give Kerri some flowers.'

An enemy jumped out at him from the grass, and he was suddenly surrounded by six people. Kurt teleported behind one and grabbed onto him, teleporting him over another baddie, let him drop and moved on to the next.

After he had defeated all six of the enemies, the image turned off, leaving a moment of after image. "Good work today," Ororo told him.

Kurt went and got cleaned up and ran a hand through his hair. He decided to go see Kerri, he was sure she'd be going to the gym today.

When he got there he had to wait for a little bit for her to get there, but she did come. He waited for her at the balance beam, and she walked over to him, her arms around herself, like she was trying to hide something, he could never figure out what it was though, she didn't have anything in her hands, and there were no pockets on her pants.

"Ready?" He asked her with a smile.

"Ready," she smiled back, shyly.

Kurt noticed that Kerri seemed to be going backwards with her skill; falling more and not lasting as long. "Are you ok?" He asked, noticing how much she was sweating.

"Yeah, maybe I'm getting sick or something..." Kerri wiped the beads of sweat off of her forehead. She'd noticed that lately she had problems like suddenly she'd have super hearing, or she could smell everything, or, somehow, she had super agility, or endurance. She hoped that it wasn't some new power manifesting itself, it was hard enough to keep the one she had away.

Friday came and Kurt waited for Kerri to get to the table at lunch. He was going to ask her to come to the mall this week, he was going to beat Kitty to it.

Kitty sat next to him and Kerri sat across from him, setting down her tray at the same time. "Kerri," she looked up at him and he faltered, then the words tumbled out of his mouth, "Sie in die Mall gehen mit mir?" {will you go to the mall with me}

Kerri was startled by the sudden rapid German. "Whoa, German boy, nicht so schnell," she told him. {not so fast}

Kurt took a breath and asked again, slower, "Sie in die mall, gehen mit mir? Bitte?" {will you go to the mall with me please (lol literally, you to the mall, go with me?)}

Kurt's insides felt like they were turning inside out while Kerri took a moment to answer, formulating the question in order. "Oh," she smiled and her cheeks gained a little pink, "ok."

"Ja?" He asked, almost shocked.

"Ja," she answered, wondering why he was surprised. He had said please, after all, and so sweetly, too. She turned back to her food and Kurt turned to Kitty with a look of triumph, but Kitty, having not understood any of the exchange, looked back at him questioningly.

* * *

Kurt was in drama, day dreaming again. Kerri had said yes. She said she'd go out with him. A smile came over his face, happiness welling up inside of him.

"Kurt do you have de answer to what you are going to write your short play about for de mid-term?" Professor LeBeau asked him.

"Ah," he said, embarrassed that he'd been caught not paying attention, but thankfully the bell rang.

"Looks like you're saved for now, mon ami."

That night in the library Kurt sat at the table in the corner, thinking about what he could write about. There were so many things going on right now, he could write about anything, but it had to have at least two acts.

Kerri walked up to the table. "Looks like you beat me here."

"Hallo, ja," Kurt greeted.

Kerri sat down, pulling out her math book and starting her homework.

Kurt started writing his play, a story about a princess who was trapped in a tower on a cliff, and a pirate who went to save her, crashing his ship into the rocks and climbing up to rescue her.

He finished the first act, making it reach three pages front and back, before he realized that Kerri had stopped working. He looked over at her and saw that she was sitting with her arms around her middle, looking at the space where her textbook was, but not really seeing it, a look of discomfort on her face. "Kerri, are you ok?"

She looked up at him. "Hmm? Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired. I'm going to go to bed, see you tomorrow."

Kurt watched her leave and wondered about what could be wrong with her.

There was a knocking on Kerri's door the next morning, and it was so loud to Kerri that she almost fell out of bed. "I'm up," she called to Kitty and let her in.

"Good! So, what are you going to wear today?" Kitty asked as she sat on Kerri's rumpled bed.

"This," Kerri answered and pointed to an outfit on the dresser. Kitty picked it up and looked it over. A blue shirt that said, "sarcasm is only one of my many talents" and a pair of jeans.

"Ok," Kitty said and waited for her to get ready before they went down to breakfast.

Kurt saw Kerri coming, wearing her normal clothes for once. "Guten morgen."

"And you," Kerri answered, sitting down.

* * *

It seemed to Kerri that by accepting to go out with these three that she had somehow signed a contract making her Kitty's personal dress up doll.

She felt like this because she was in yet another store trying clothes on that Kitty had hand-picked for her.

"And try this one on!" Kitty giggled, handing her another dress.

"Kitty, I don't usually wear things like this..." Kerri complained, but put the dress on, all the while having the strange feeling of being accepted into the ranks of girlhood.

Store after store, Kitty picked out things to try on, some for her, some for Kerri, some for real, some as things that would be funny to wear.

Halfway through trying on things at "Basic" Kerri felt a sudden ache in her middle, and the smell was suddenly too much to handle, she could smell all the new clothes smell, Kitty's shampoo and body wash, her shampoo and body wash, feet, smelly shoes, sweat, baby powder, the cleaning supplies they used to clean the store, milk from a lactating mother, the ozone smell from the fluorescent lights...

She wrapped her arms around her stomach, staring at the ground, willing it to go away.

"Are you ok, Kerri?" Kitty asked, concerned at having turned around to see Kerri clutching her stomach.

"Yeah," Kerri tried to reassure her.

"That time of the month?" Kitty asked sympathetically, "do you need anything?"

Kerri mumbled noncommittally, shaking her head no.

After they had waited for Kitty to pay for her new stuff, they decided it was time to go home.

"Didn't I tell you it would be funner if you brought a girlfriend?" Kitty said, waiting for the others to get a little ahead of them.

Kurt blushed and stuttered, "A- she's my- I didn't-"

"You haven't asked her yet?" Kitty rolled her eyes dramatically. "You should make it official, just go up to her, grab her by the arms, and tell her, "I like you, be my girlfriend!" Like in the Humphrey Bogart movies you always watch."

"It's Errol Flynn," Kurt corrected her, blushing.

"Earl Flim, then," she said, a tone of 'whatever' in her voice.

"Errol Flynn," Kurt repeated.

* * *

Kerri was in the danger room, fighting Logan hand to hand.

She was doing ok, she could definitely not match his brute force, or his years and years of experience, but at least she hadn't been punted or face planted on the floor, which was pretty much all one could hope for.

She was standing ready to defend his next attack, a few feet away, when the lights seemed to flash, she tried to blink it away, closing her eyes and putting a hand on her now aching abdomen, and a noise rang in her ears, pounding on her ear drums. It sounded like static and high frequency squealing rolled into one. Her other hand went to her ear and her teeth gritted, but she stayed silent.

Unfortunately Logan noticed her pain too late, and didn't have time to stop his foot from crashing into her side, kicking her sideways into the wall.

"Uff!" She hit the wall with a thud, bouncing off of it onto the floor. 'So much for not being punted...' She thought. The noise had left, but she couldn't tell if the pain had with the new pain of being kicked so hard that she'd bounced off of the wall.

Logan reached out his hand, his concern hidden by gruffness and years of practice. "Kid, you have to block before I hit you, not after."

"I know..." Kerri told him, making strained sounds of pain as she refused his hand, and got up under her own power.

"I think we're done for today, go rest," Logan told her, then followed her out of the danger room.

"I'll do that," she said, stumbling off, her eyes still mostly closed.

Logan stepped into the control room. "She's getting weaker, Professor." He folded his arms and leaned against a wall to hide his worry.

Something about this girl reminded him of himself, maybe it was the way she fought to do things herself, not taking help from anyone readily, or maybe it was the way she carried herself, even after what he'd heard about her past, she didn't lay down and die, or let it hurt her, just kept going into the future, which is all anyone could do, really. Whatever it was, she'd hit a soft spot in him that not many had.

"Yes, so it seems. I think she may have found a way to completely stop her powers from manifesting, but as I warned her, it's taking a toll," Charles told him.

"What do you mean?" Logan asked.

"She told me she didn't want to use her powers ever again, and that she thought of herself as a monster." Logan grunted noncommittally at this. "Surely you don't agree with her. Logan?" Charles turned to look at the bulky man.

"No. But I've been there. It takes time to get over it. And acceptance."

Charles looked back at the readings on the monitor. "Let's hope she gets it soon, she doesn't have as long as you do."

"Huh," Logan let out a gruff laugh.

* * *

Kurt got to the library after class and noticed that Dr. McCoy looked worried about something. "Is anyzhing wrong, Dr. McCoy?"

"Oh, no, everything is fine, my lad. Is there anything I can help you find today?" He answered, his face quickly returning to normal.

"Nein, I know vhere I'm going." He headed towards the usual table, surprised to see Kerri already there, and clutching her middle with her head on the table, no less.

"Kerri, are you ok?" He dropped his things on the table and crouched by her side, putting a hand on her back, but quickly took it away as she gasped in pain.

"I'm fine," she said. "Logan kicked me into a wall during danger room, that's all."

Kurt's eyes widened, he'd never heard of Logan hurting a student on purpose before. "Varum?" {why}

"I didn't catch him before he got me. I should have paid better attention," she told him, stating the facts as she saw them.

"Kerri, are you going to be ok? Do you vant me to get Dr. McCoy to come..." He trailed off as she waved his questions away.

"I'll be fine, I'm just sore."

For the next two weeks the school was full of a mid-term induced frenzy, mainly among the seniors, and the group stayed at the school, studying.

They all sat in the library, while Kitty complained that mid terms should be illegal when it was finally so nice out, Kurt tried to finish his papers, Kerri filled out practice tests, and Piotr helped them, but mostly read a book.

Lunch finally came on the last day of midterms, which, of course, was on a Friday.

Kitty sat down. "I think we should have a pick-nick! It's nice, and it's March, and I can't stand being in this school for much longer! It's making me crazy!" She jokingly pulled at her hair.

"You? You're not zhe vone who has to sit by you!" Kurt joked.

Kerri smiled, laughing quietly at them. She pushed her tray away, as the smell in the lunch room suddenly made her nauseous.

* * *

Kurt stood in his room, looking at himself without his inducer on. He didn't look so different from his hologram, just, "Blue und demonic..." He sighed aloud. 'Vhat could she possibly see in me? She's so pretty... And I'm just a fuzzy blue demon...' He sat on his bed, pulling his knees to his chest. It was the same conversation that went through his mind every time he thought about what Kitty said; _"Just grab her by the arms, and tell her, "I like you, be my girlfriend!"_"

He'd asked her to come sit with them at the lunch table, sure, but that was pretty harmless. And he'd asked her to go out to the mall with him, and she'd said yes. But a date hardly meant that you were dating...

Was it this hard for everyone, or was it just because of how he looked? He had asked girls out before, but they had all turned him down. Maybe it _was_ because of how he looked...

He looked up at the clock, it was time to get ready to go, he was meeting everyone else in the hall like normal on a Saturday morning.

He turned on his inducer and, Bamf! He was in the entrance hall. Piotr was already there with the pick-nick basket and Kitty's beach bag, and he supposed that Kitty had gone back up to collect Kerri. She seemed to think it was her job to keep track of her, for some reason.

Kurt tried to sneak into the basket and grab a piece of food, but Piotr caught him. "Nyet."

"Ah, but Piotr, I'm hungry, und I'm sure Kitty von't mind..." Kurt tried to persuade him, but got another, "Nyet."

Kitty came down the stairs, pouting, at a run, like always, and Kerri followed slower, wearing a loose long-sleeved shirt and a pair of baggy pants.

Kerri walked down the stairs, knowing that Kitty was pouting about not letting her pick out her clothes, but Kerri wanted to dress for warmth, and Kitty wanted her to dress to impress, even though they were just walking to the park that was a few miles away.

They set off, walking through the gates and down the road to the park, enjoying the nice spring scenery; birds chirping, flowers blooming, clouds scattered across the blue sky.

When they got to the park, Kurt insisted that they eat before anything else.

While they ate, they talked about how they thought they did on mid terms. "Ja, I zhink I'm going to pass zhem all, und I'll graduate!"

Kerri realized again that Kurt was a senior, and that he was probably going to leave after this year, and Kitty too, then she'd be alone again. She shook this off, and thought, 'You need to have fun while you have the chance.'

After they had eaten the sandwiches, fruit and assorted food Kitty had packed, Kitty pulled out a Frisbee. "Let's play!" She yelled and ran out into the field. Kurt and Piotr followed her without hesitation, but Kerri hung back.

"Come on, Kerri, ve'll go easy on you! Promise!" Kurt called to her.

She paused a moment longer, but got up and followed them.

It was fun, Kitty threw it to Kurt, to Piotr, to Kurt, to Kerri, to Kitty... They had been playing for about an hour, and Kerri felt more relaxed than she had in a long time, forgetting all about stresses of the real world, and just focusing on not letting the Frisbee get away.

Piotr threw it, and it whizzed past her. "I've got it!" She yelled and turned to dive for it.

As Kerri turned to give chase, they saw as if in slow motion; Kerri's arm swung around, aimed at the ground as a paw, the other at her side, also as a paw, her face going forward and her chest staying on target, like a dog leaping, a tail swished around to be behind her, but stuck down the leg of her pants, her back paw slipped out of her boot, her first paw hit the ground then the second, then her other paw came out of her boot with her facing completely backwards from her boots. Her large wolf ears were pointed forward, pinpoint on the Frisbee, and a look of pure joy was across her wolf face.

They couldn't help but stand and stare as she ran. The transformation had happened so smoothly that if it hadn't appeared to be slow motion, they probably would have looked around, wondering where Kerri had gone.

Kerri leaped into the air, a feeling of joy spread through her as she caught the Frisbee and landed on the ground. She turned to call out that she'd gotten it, but her mouth was full. She opened her mouth, confused, and looked down, seeing the Frisbee fall.

Her ears turned back as she realized that she had caught the Frisbee in her mouth, and that those were her paws at the end of her shirt sleeves. She looked up to see the others staring at her in surprise, and she sat, closing her eyes and turning her head to the sky, crying out her pained sadness, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"


	20. Does Kitty's advice work?

**[AN: Oh my Lord and Lady, we just had our first ever comic con, and Stan Lee came! I didn't get a chance to get close enough to say hi or shake his hand, but that may be a good thing, since I was trying not to act like a crazy fangirl... Lol, and I got William Shatner's autograph! And I got to say hi to Adam West and Burt Ward! Anyway... trying not to be a fangirl... We last left our heroes in a park, playing with a small plastic flying discus, it flew past Kerri and she turned to get it, turning completely into a wolf as she did! Ashamed and frightened of what Kurt would think about her, she sat and cried out to the heavens, NO... For a long time. Also, The bit at the end may seem random, but I just wanted to expand and get the other part of Kerri's powers out there. Anyway, I'll stop stalling, fresh and hot to you, here's the chapter! Hope you enjoy it!]**

* * *

"AAROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO..." The cry of sadness rang through the park.

Kerri didn't wait for the screams of terror or disgust, she just ran.

Kurt stood frozen, the horrified look in Kerri's green- blue eyes as she'd looked at them, as if she expected them to light torches and run at her with pitchforks. Somehow, it hurt him, deep in his gut, the mournful cry before she ran, overwhelmed him with her sadness and made him feel like he was going to tear up.

"Kurt," Kitty gained her voice back and turned to him. "Kurt, what are you doing? Go after her!"

Kurt sped off in the direction Kerri had run.

Kerri ran and ran, her bare paw pads taking the brunt of the hard ground. She reached the road to the school, squeezing through the gate when she reached it.

She hauled ass across the front yard, she'd had time to think as she ran, and decided that maybe Professor Xavier was right; maybe she should talk to him about what was wrong, and see if she could find a different way to control her powers.

Logan was by the garage, wiping his motorcycle down, admiring the shining beauty of freedom it symbolized, when he heard the gate's alarm go off, telling them that there was an intruder. He flung down the rag in his hand and got to the path in a matter of moments, but saw Kerri running, barefoot, up the walk. She was running like a scared rabbit, but nothing was chasing her. He stepped in front of her, grabbing her by the shoulders. "Kid, what's wrong, somethin' chasin' you?"

Kerri had shifted back as soon as Logan had seen her, and had only stopped from running into him as he grabbed her shoulders, she was breathing heavily, not used to running five straight miles, or whatever it had been. "Do you know where-" pant pant, "Professor Xavier is?" Pant pant. She was on the verge of crying, but she didn't want to cry, she wanted to find the Professor and talk to him.

"Pretty sure he's in his office, you ok, Kid?" Logan asked, keeping hold of her as she tried to turn and get away.

"I need to talk to the Professor, let me go," urgency was in her voice as her gritted teeth grew into fangs and her nails grew long, dark, and curved, like a dogs, her hands and feet slightly turning paw like as she struggled, flailing back and forth. "Let me go!"

Logan let her go, watching her hobble- run towards the front door.

Kerri painfully half ran half hopped to the office door and knocked. She felt as though a wave of question pushed gently against her before Xavier said, "Come in, Kerri."

She was suddenly shy, but opened the door and walked in, her raw feet stinging on the rough carpet. "Is- does your offer to talk still stand?" She asked the floor.

* * *

Kurt teleported into the school yard, seeing Logan, he teleported over to him. Bamf! "Please, Logan, have you seen Kerri?" Kurt was breathing hard from all the running and teleporting he had been doing, trying to track Kerri down.

He knew that it was important that he spoke to her soon, before she thought that he was avoiding her, or disgusted, or some other such nonsense. He was hoping that she'd returned to the school, having looked for her all over, and not being able to think of anywhere else she might be. "Es ist sehr vichtig, very important."

Logan looked up and took pity on the teen, he looked like he'd chased her for a marathon. "She was looking for the Professor when she got here. Looked like she was in a hurry."

"Danke, ah Heilige Mutter, vielen dank," Kurt murmured and teleported into the school. {Thank you, Holy Mother, thank you so much}

"You're welcome, but I ain't no Holy Mother," Logan answered to himself.

Kurt appeared in a cloud of sulphuric smoke in front of the office door of professor Xavier. He could hear two voices inside, one male, the Professor, and one female, Kerri?

He knocked on the door. "Professor, I need to speak vizh you!" The door opened and he walked in. "I'm sorry to interrupt." He looked around, "uh..."

Storm stood by the door and Xavier sat at his desk, but there was no Kerri. Was he too late? Was she already gone? Had she been so worried about being hated that she'd left the school?

"If you're looking for Miss Smith, I believe she went to her room," Xavier told him with a shadow of amusement on his lips.

"Miss- Oh, ja, zhank you." Kurt gave a little bow before leaving, using the door politely. As he walked up to the girl's dorms, he wondered how he could forget that Kerri's last name was Smith.

He arrived at her door, but paused, unsure about what to do next.

Kitty's words rang in his head; _"Just grab her arms and tell her, "I like you, be my girlfriend!"_ The situation didn't seem right for that though.

Another thing Kitty had said floated through his mind, _"You have to keep telling girls that you like them!"_ That sounded ok.

Kurt hesitated, then knocked on Kerri's door, panicking a little when there was no answer. He knocked again. "Kerri, are you zhere?"

There was a moment of silence that his worry grew in, then he heard a soft, "Yes."

"Can I come in?" He asked.

"No." He heard the pain in her voice, almost like she was being quiet to stop from crying.

"Kerri," he paused. "If I talk, vill you listen?"

There was silence, then, "Ok."

Kurt sighed and slid down, leaning against the door. He took a moment to gather his thoughts.

"I noticed zhat your fur is zhe same color as your hair..." There was silence from behind the door. "Und, zhat your eyes are zhe same color..." More silence. "Und, I," he pushed through his nervousness. "I noticed zhat you are very pretty..." At this there was a noise that he couldn't tell if it was a sob, or a scoff. "Und, I can tell zhat you are a good person..."

"No I'm not," came her voice through the door.

Kurt was startled by this. "Vhat do you mean? I've never seen you hurt anyvone, and I met your stepfazher... if anyvone deserved a smack, I'm sure he did... And vhat about zhe man in zhe voods? You didn't do anyzhing to him, in fact as I remember, you got hypozhermia because you gave me your coat."

"You wanted to hide..." She said simply.

"Ja, but if you veren't a good person, you vouldn't care," Kurt told her.

"Believe what you want. I'm a monster." Kurt had to strain to hear the last part.

He paused, confused. "I don't know vhat you saw out zhere, but I saw a volf. And zhe last time I checked, volfs veren't monsters."

"Not that. _I'm_ a monster..." She couldn't think how to explain it to him.

"Vhat do you mean?" He asked.

She paused, trying to gather her thoughts. "I used to do it on purpose, to scare people..."

"Turn into a volf?" He asked, confused.

"No, I- I can turn into more than that, other things, scary things, and I used to turn into scary things and make people piss their pants and run away."

That would explain why she had been telling herself to stop and be normal in the motel.

"Kerri," Kurt paused. "Sometimes it's not easy being a mutant-"

"No," she cut him off, "I did it on purpose. People would make me mad, and I'd ask them what their biggest fear was, then I'd turn into something scary and terrify them. Then they would wet their pants and run away. I did it on purpose..." she repeated softly.

"Kerri, sometimes it's hard. I know zhat sometimes I've scared people vizh zhe vay zhat I look, on purpose," he added quickly, in case she tried to cut him off again. "But just because you look like a monster, it doesn't mean zhat you are vone," he realized what he was saying. It was true, and he believed it, but somehow it had never sank in for him, until now. "It doesn't matter vhat you look like, only if you're a good person," he continued, looking at his tail, out of the hologram, then the hologram that covered his hands. Maybe that's why Kerri didn't care what he looked like, because it didn't matter to her.

"It's ok, Kurt, you can hate me," Kerri's soft voice came through the door. "You don't have to sit here and talk to me..."

Kurt was startled. "Vhat?"

"You saw my tail... And more..."

"So?" He wondered, and realized that she didn't know he'd already seen her tail. "Besides, I've seen your tail before."

"What?" He heard the edge of panic in her voice.

"Ja, in zhe motel. Remember, you had a nightmare, and I vent to vake you up, and your tail vas zhere." He tried to add a lighter tone to his voice, somehow knowing that he had this handled.

"You're-" Kerri tried to deny, but he interrupted her.

"Your fur is very soft," he told her, sounding calm and confident.

Silence.

"So, vhy do you zhink I'd hate you?" He asked again.

"My tail..."

Now he was confused. "Vas?"

"How could you not hate my tail?" Kerri paused. "You hate your tail..." Kurt jumped in surprise, he didn't hate his tail, he liked it very much, in fact. He thought it was very cool, letting him do tricks that other people couldn't, or being an extra hand when he needed one. "You always wear your hologram to hide it..."

Kurt thought for a moment, and could understand how someone might think that if they didn't know the real reason he used his image inducer. "Kerri, I don't vear it to hide my tail, I vear it so zhat people aren't scared vhen zhey see me, or jump to conclusions about me because of how I look."

"Oh."

That's when it hit him, now was the time to say the other thing.

"Kerri, I have a qvestion..." He started fiddling with his image inducer.

"Ok."

"It's a serious qvestion..."

Silence.

"I haven't asked anyvone for a long time..." Fiddle fiddle.

"O-ok..." She said, sounding nervous.

"Kerri, I like you." He paused, he wasn't nervous though; it was the right time to ask. He lifted his head to look at the ceiling. "Vill you go out vizh me?" He didn't know where he'd gotten this courage from, but he'd always been told not to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Kerri's face heated; she was shocked he'd ask her something like that, especially after she'd shifted in front of him and admitted that she used to use her powers to scare people on purpose.

"You- still want to be my friend?" She asked disbelievingly.

"Ja."

There was a nervous pause. "Where do you want to go?"

The corners of Kurt's lips turned up in amusement, she was stalling. "Kerri, I like you like you, und I meant Freund - Freundin, boyfriend- girlfriend."

There was silence on the other side of the door.

Kurt turned off his image inducer and turned around to kneel in front of the door. "Kerri, can I see you? Bitte?" {Please}

There was a pause, then the door opened a fraction, and Kerri was kneeling on the other side, her hair hanging all around her face, hiding her tear stained cheeks, just as she'd had it that night in the motel. "I don't think I can refuse it when you ask please..." She mumbled.

Kurt kneed forward, trying to pull Kerri into his arms, but she pushed him away.

"Bitte?" He asked again, and she didn't put up a fight as he pulled her close, like he had when she'd cried before.

"Kerri?"

"Hm?"

"I like you," Kurt told her, holding her close. "Be my girlfriend. Bitte."

Kerri pulled herself closer to him, closing her eyes, and felt the caring emotion running through him. It was warm... Happy... Right... "Ok," she told him.

He pulled back and his hand was on her cheek, he was looking intently at her, his body moved a fraction of an inch toward her, and she felt a word in her mind.

Kiss.

'No, not like this!' Her mind cried out. She shifted her face away. "Please don't ask please... I'm not ready yet..." Her voice sounded tender and soft.

Kurt smiled and pulled her face back to look at him. His face slowly inched towards hers.

She closed her eyes in worried anticipation, and felt...

His cheek touch her cheek. "Don't vorry, I'm an X-Man, vone of zhe good guys, remember?"

Kerri's breath escaped her chest, and she realised that she'd been holding it. Her brain couldn't think of anything to respond with, so she said lamely, "Oh... Yeah..."

* * *

Kerri sat in Professor Xavier's office, working with him and Jean on psychic tests.

She still couldn't guess anything they held while she was blind folded, couldn't talk to people with her mind, couldn't move things with her mind, and she was having trouble "feeling things too much" as professor Xavier had put it, explaining that trying to suppress her powers so hard had caused them to flow out and around, like when you try to hold jello in your hand too tight and it squishes out between your fingers.

_'Can you hear me?'_ Jean asked in her head.

"AH! Not so loud!" Kerri cried, clutching her super hearing head.

"Mentally, please, Kerri," Jean told her.

Kerri strained, but Jean still couldn't pick anything up. Finally the Professor told her, "Kerri, let's try this. Think of something, got it?" Kerri nodded, thinking of pizza. "Good, now imagine it, think of the smells, texture, taste, appearance, and sounds that you associate with that thing. Now take those feelings, and push them to Jean, push mentally, but use your hands to help you visualize if you need to."

Kerri tried, closing her eyes and pushing, and pushing, and pushing... "Take a deep breath," Xavier told her. "Use your mind to take the feelings, imagine taking them in your hand and pushing them to Jean." Kerri tried, actually thinking she smelled the pizza. "Now Kerri, don't hand her the object, just the feelings," he told her and she opened her eyes to see that she was holding a tiny sized pizza.

"Whoa! I've never done that before!" Kerri was so surprised that she dropped the pizza on the ground.

"Well, we've found something new you can do," Xavier said with a chuckle, as Jean looked down at the mess on the floor. "Now, lets try again, think of something else, and don't think of holding the object, just the feelings it gives you."

After half an hour Jean finally said, "Yuck! What is that?" She rubbed her hands on her pants, trying to rub off the slimy, gooey, bubbly feeling.

"A bar of soap," Kerri told her.

"Good," Xavier told her. "I think we've done enough work for today. For now, I'd like you to think about how you could take your feelings and communicate through them, such as telling someone a sentence with feelings."

"Now, just to clean up the stain from the pizza," Jean looked down, then let out a surprised, "Oh."

Kerri looked down and saw no trace of the pizza she'd dropped earlier.

"Interesting," Xavier said.

* * *

Kerri walked to the lunch room, finding Kitty waiting for her. It had turned out to be a blessing hiding as a curse when she lost control and shifted two days before.

Kitty had come up to her and asked her how her day was going even before classes, trying to make her feel like she was still there for her.

It was a small gesture, but it meant the world to Kerri, knowing that even though she had shifted in front of them, Kitty and Piotr didn't see her any differently, and Kurt had all but said that he didn't care, that he still liked her, even asking her to be his girlfriend. She blushed at the memory.

She felt so free, it was the first time she'd felt like she had what was considered normal problems, and not "the world is ending" problems in a long time. It was like the world had been lifted from her shoulders.

Kerri found it hard to focus on what Kitty was telling her as they walked through the line, she was soooo hungry.

When they had sat down, Kerri and Kurt shared a mutual blush, and she set about eating her large lunch.

"Wow," Kitty said at last, joking, "that's a lot of food Kerri, you hungry or something?"

"Mmm, learned a new trick," Kerri told her, taking a big bite of her burger and holding her hand in front of her mouth.

"What is it?" Kitty asked, interested.

"I don't know if I'll be able to do it, but I'll try." She swallowed her mouthful and closed her eyes.

She thought of a fork, she focused on the cold steel feeling, the way it felt when she took a slow bite from it, the prongs pressing into her lips the spaces running over her tongue, the shape of it in her hand, everything she could think of about forks. Then she took it and imagined handing Kitty a fork.

Kurt watched Kerri holding her closed hand close to her chest, then she put her hand out to Kitty, holding a fork.

Kitty looked at the fork and asked, "So? I picked up a fork too."

"I didn't pick up a fork, though," Kerri told her.

"There's a fork in your- oh," Kitty stopped, realizing.

"So, you can make forks? Zhat vill come in handy if ve ever have a silvervare shortage, " Kurt joked.

Kerri felt embarrassed and looked down, the fork disappearing as she did.

Kerri felt something wrap around her ankle and looked up to see Kurt looking at her remorsefully. "Sorry... I vas joking..."

Kerri went back to eating her food, Kitty saying that it was pretty cool that she could "make" stuff, and it would come in handy if she was lost and needed a comb or a compass or something.

* * *

A few days later, Kerri got to the danger room, already in her work out clothes, walking up to the doors.

To her surprise Logan was outside, waiting for her. "Hey, Kid. The Professor wants someone in the danger room with you today, we're going to do a group scenario."

"Ok..." Kerri answered, wondering what this experience was going to be like as she walked in.

Logan went up to the booth to run the simulation.

"Aren't you going to be down here with me?" She asked him.

"No, Professor had someone else in mind," he told her.

Kerri stretched out, preparing for whatever was coming.

The door opened and Kurt walked in, wearing his X-Men training outfit.

Kerri looked up from the floor and felt her cheeks heat at the picture he presented; blue, fuzzy, tight uniform...

The uniform itself was black with a deep v in red on his chest, with long white gloves, and tall boots to match.

She couldn't think for a moment, but came back to reality when she was suddenly blinded as her vision superfied and the lights in the danger room glared at her. "Ow!"

"Wow, I didn't know I looked zhat good in zhe costume..." Kurt joked nervously.

"You two quit screwing around and get ready," Logan told them over the speakers.

There was a fuzzle and the room turned into a city street. Kerri stood up, feeling better, and looked around, used to things jumping at her by now.

There was a crashing noise and a large ball came into view, it was metal and shiny, it had six long appendages that Kerri guessed she'd called legs coming out of it, making it very tall and imposing.

Kurt stood by her side as they stared up at the monstrous thing towering over the buildings.

"Ok, let's go." Kurt disappeared in a cloud of brimstone and smoke, leaving Kerri alone and at a loss of what to do.

People she could do, but how do you hurt a machine? She'd only hurt her foot if she kicked it, of that she was sure, but she wanted to help Kurt.

She ran forward, not sure what to do, but willing to do it.

Kurt appeared next to her. "I looked at es, it's all metal, vizh a seam on it, aber, I don't zhink I could teleport inside to take es down."

Kerri was interested to see this new side of Kurt, his "battle mode" so to speak. "What should we do then?"

Kurt shrugged. "Zhis is your training session, vhat do you vant to do?"

He had to jump back, flipping away as a leg shot forward, landing where he had just been.

Kerri's wide eyes turned up to look at it, what was she supposed to do with this?


	21. What do I always tell you?

**[AN: I don't know what to say here... Just Hi I guess... Oh, yeah, sorry for the weird chapter cut last chapter, I was just bulking the chapter up by continuing the story for a bit, but then this next part was so large that I had to cut off. Anyway, lol, something that I've been having to remind people of, since they were talking about being Wolverine for a con, Wolverine is only 5'3". Yes, that's right, big bad ass Wolverine is only 5'3". I told him he had to crouch down because he was too tall, lol. Anyway, here's the chapter, I hope you enjoy it, please feel free to message me, review, or just read!]**

* * *

Kerri saw Kurt appear in the distance, and she decided that they would probably be safer together.

She closed her eyes for a moment, hoping that her super agility or endurance was still around with the random super vision and hearing, then she opened her eyes and ran towards Kurt.

At first she tried to focus on not falling, but it was almost counter productive, and she realized that it was easier if she just focused on running and let her body instinctively take care of the leaping, jump- climbing and not falling.

She stopped by Kurt, who watched her run towards him with some pretty good moves. "I think we should try to not get separated too far, but what should we do to fight this thing, any ideas?"

Kurt nodded his head at her thought of not getting separated. "I can't help you too much, zhat is zhe rules, sorry, Kerri."

Kerri sighed, but jumped back as a laser shot in between them. "Don't forget zhat ve are fighting vhile you zhink about es."

Kerri jumped up a short wall, finding a spot that looked safe to observe from for a moment.

Seriously, what could she do against this huge robot thing? Her powers worked on people who could see. Kurt could see, but that didn't help her fight the robot.

She was still a little nervous about using her powers in front of Kurt, but knew that's what she needed to do and, after all, he'd asked her to be his girlfriend after he'd seen her shift before.

Maybe she could try to make something, but it was hard on her body to create even something small, and even if she could make something as big as a sword, it would be like stabbing this thing with a toothpick.

A leg shot past her and she followed it with her eyes, seeing it heading at Kurt. 'No!' her mind called, but Kurt easily jumped out of the way. He leaped again as a laser shot at him from somewhere on the ball-shaped body of the enemy.

He was getting farther and farther away from her and she was getting nervous.

She forgot about him for a moment as a laser shot at her. She jumped out of the way, but didn't have much room to maneuver on the small space on top of the destroyed wall.

She looked back to see how Kurt was doing, seeing him on the ground, a laser hitting where he had just been, a leg flying at him.

"No!" This time she said it out loud and Kurt teleported out of the way, right into the path of another laser shot.

Her thoughts sped through her mind so fast she thought for sure that he'd be hit before she even got done thinking; she needed to save him, she needed to get down there, she couldn't jump down there, or get that far fast enough. She needed a way to get there fast. Wings. She needed to turn into something with wings and get there and save him.

"Kurt!" He looked up at her as he side stepped out of the way of the laser, but the leg was still flying at him, and he didn't seem to notice. Something that flies fast.

Peregrine falcons can fly up to two hundred miles per hour, a voice said the random fact in the back of her mind. That wouldn't be big enough to protect Kurt, though.

'What flies?' She asked herself frantically, knowing she didn't have much time.

Gargoyles. Falcon the voice insisted. A jumbled picture came into her panicked mind. 'Shift,' she thought, not taking time to sort it out.

In a second she changed, her feet expanded sideways, bursting out of her shoes as the muscles enlarged and reformed on the front of her feet, large claws growing out to help her grip the floor, or whatever she landed on, her nails grew sharper and harder as well. A long tail came through her pants, the hooked blade like fin near the end cutting them to make an exit, her shirt exploded outwards in shreds of fabric from the back as enormous falcon feathered wings extended outwards.

She crouched and leaped up and forward, going into a dive toward Kurt.

Kurt's eyes winded and he had a moment to think, 'She is an angel...' Before she crashed into him, knocking him down.

Kerri landed on her target, overshooting and knocking him to the ground a few feet away from where they started.

'Protect!' Her brain yelled out to everything around her, and she grabbed him close, pressing him to the ground, somehow making a barrier of stone reach up and around them.

The barrier shattered around them as the machine's leg hit it, then pulled back to launch another attack.

Kurt looked up at her and around, surprised at sudden shower of rocks.

"No," Kerri cried out, her eyes still closed. "No!"

From the control booth Xavier and Logan watched in quiet shock as light seemed to gather around Kerri.

It was like a glare effect, two rings of light, one big, one small. The small one pressed out while the big one pulled in, passing each other, and a pressure started to fill the area.

As the two rings of light came back toward each other Kurt could feel Kerri tensing all of the muscles in her body, then suddenly, all at once she let go, going limp, and an explosion happened.

Or something like an explosion.

The robot was suddenly ripped apart, shrapnel flying through the air, raining down like heavy, deadly snow.

Kurt wrapped his arms around Kerri and teleported away with her unconscious body.

"I think we should keep her out of the danger room until her extra power has subsided," Xavier said in the control room, stunned.

"You got that right, bub," Logan answered, not showing that he was equally stunned.

Kurt appeared holding Kerri's limp winged body, her tail trailing on the floor.

"Kurt, take her to the med lab, I'll inform Hank that you're coming."

* * *

Kurt sat in class, worrying about Kerri. He couldn't help but feel like it was somehow his fault, after all, she had been protecting him when she passed out.

She'd been unconscious for two days now, and Kitty had gone down to the med lab this morning, dragging him to class.

The day ended as the last bell finally, finally rang. He waited until the rest of the class had left, then teleported down to the hallway to the med lab.

He opened the door and walked in, seeing that Kerri was laying on her side, facing away from him, her wings out, hanging over the side of the bed with her tail, the hospital gown open down the back so her wings could extend, her arms wrapped around herself and her knees pulled up, her toes curled under, hiding the claws on them.

She was just the way he'd left her.

He walked over to the chair he'd left this morning and sat down, pulling out his homework and setting it on the edge of the bed.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw her tail move up over her legs.

He studied it, it looked like his almost, but a sort of stony grey, almost silver color that matched the outsides of her wings, the insides of which were a creamy color with a black dot pattern on them. There was something at the end of her tail that looked almost like a fin, but it was only on one side, folded over like a webbed digit. He noticed that her tail was much longer than his, and more whip like as well. It moved again, sliding up her leg, then back down.

Kurt was surprised as her legs and hips started twitching next to him.

He leaned back, worrying what to do, the Professor had told him not to worry, that she was fine and her mind was intact, just sleeping, and that she needed rest, but she was shaking so much...

Kurt worried for a moment longer, then Dr. McCoy entered the room. "How is our patient today, Mr. Wagner?"

"Sie is shaking... Vhat do I do?" Kurt asked, nervous.

Dr. McCoy came closer, looking at Kerri's shaking body, it was like a harsh shiver. He looked at the machine that was monitoring her brain waves and told Kurt, "It looks like she's having a dream or a nightmare. Don't worry Kurt, she'll be fine." He went into his office to look at the x-rays he'd taken of her.

Kurt sat back down, watching Kerri twitch. He ran his hand down her face, hoping it wasn't a nightmare she was having.

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Kerri was wandering through a parking lot with her father. There was a fair going on and they were walking around, enjoying the evening light and the attractions.

Kerri had on a cat eared headband and a cat tail from Halloween, even though it was only August. Her dad held her hand, leading her around.

There was a sign announcing a freak and geek show by a large tent, and a man with a striped hat and a cane stood out front, bringing people in.

"A mermaid monkey! Let's go look, daddy!" Kerri looked up at him, pleadingly.

"What does geek mean?" Her father asked her.

"Someone who bites off chicken heads at the circus." Kerri answered him.

"Good. Are you sure you want to see that?" Her dad asked her.

"No, I just wanna see the mermaid!" Kerri answered.

They entered and went into the "Freaks" side of the tent. "Wow, that's cool! Even though you can see the stitching," she giggled at the taxidermy half fish half monkey.

As they moved down the line in the tent, they heard a noise a short distance away. When they found the source of the noise, there was a cage, it was large enough to hold the creature in it, but not much bigger.

Inside there was an older lady, she was large around, but short, her skin was fat and rubbery, her nose was large and snouty, her ears were large and pointed, but flopped over.

Kerri could recognize the pig characteristics, and that this old woman was knitting something with her pig like hands.

She walked forward to the bars, and when the woman looked up at her, her face hardened. "What do you want, little cat? Lucky you can walk around."

Kerri tilted her head. "What do you mean? My legs aren't broken. What are you knitting?"

The pig woman looked at the little girl in front of her. "You're normal enough to walk around, you better hope Mr. Jardine doesn't see you. He'll find a cage for you too."

"You mean someone put you in here?" Kerri asked, confused. She looked up at her dad. "Dad, we have to get her out."

"No, the cages are to protect us from the people who come to mock us," the pig woman told her.

Kerri's father had told her that the world wasn't always so excepting, but that you had to take the good with the bad sometimes.

When they left the tent, she heard someone saying, "A mutie freak got out, look at that."

Kerri looked around, then up at her dad. She got closer to her dad holding onto his arm. She was now aware of all of the people staring at her, and she could hear them talking, calling her a mutant, saying she should be in the freak show.

"Ow," Kerri mumbled, trying to pull the headband off, but getting it tangled in her hair. Her dad kneeled down. "What are you doing?" He asked, untangling her headband.

"Everyone is looking at me... They think I'm a mutant... Are they going to put me in a cage?" She asked nervously.

"No, of course not. Now, what do I always tell you?" He asked.

"Always be comfortable being yourself."

"That's right." He handed her the headband.

"But I'm not a cat..."

"I know, but if you want to wear those, it's part of who you are."

Kerri looked down at the headband, thinking for a moment, then she put it back on, hugging her dad.

* * *

Kerri walked down the halls in the school. She had just gotten to this new school, and she was wondering around looking at all of the new sights.

A group of students passed, and she hid behind a nearby curtain.

"Ja, zhat vould be fun!" A voice came to her. She looked out and saw a boy walking past.

He was tall to her, and his black hair fell around his face to his shoulders. He looked back at another student and she saw that he had blue eyes.

She got a strange feeling in her chest, it tightened like she was being squeezed. She wanted to be by this boy for some reason, wanted to listen to him talk, talk to him, maybe.

It was so strange to feel this way, she'd never been drawn to someone like this before; she wasn't attracted to him, but at the same time, she was.

She could see as he walked away that something strange was going on with his appearance, a sort of, light? Brightness? She wasn't sure how to describe it, but she knew it was strange.

* * *

Kerri was in the danger room with Kurt, they were trying to stop the robot.

Kerri had to stop the thing from crushing him, she had to stop the thing from shooting him... She had to save him, because...

Because she really liked him... She had deep unknown feelings about him... Maybe it was too soon to tell what they were, but she had to keep him around long enough to find out.

She leaped at him, landed on him. 'Protect!' Her brain cried out, calling to the ground, the air, anything.

The rocks came around them, then shattered.

She knew that the robot had to die, there was no other way to protect Kurt. She couldn't think of anything to do, she wished Logan was here, he could kill it, his claws would slice through it with no problem.

She imagined his claws tearing the robot into little pieces of metal, her muscles tightening, then...

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Kurt looked down at Kerri's face, he was sure that she was having a nightmare. His hand smoothed down her face again, and he sat down, trying to get started on his homework.

Kerri started to shake again, her tail whipped toward him, then away, the web part pulling back a little, a bone like hook slashing through the bar at the foot of the bed.

Kurt stared, shocked at the cut metal. He hadn't noticed that when he looked earlier.

Kerri shot up in the bed, the monitoring wires popping from her forehead and her stiff muscles protesting her rapid movement.

Kurt noticed that Kerri's eyes were strange, the pupil was small and round, while the iris was her normal color, only lighter, with visible intense folds. Kerri opened her mouth, showing her fanged teeth in a threatening gesture.

She turned and saw Kurt. "Where is it? We have to beat it..." Her voice was urgent, her eyes darting around the room, trying to adjust.

Kurt looked around. "Vhat? Vhat do ve have to beat?"

"The robot... Where am I?" She asked, realizing they weren't in the danger room any more.

"Zhe med lab," Kurt told her. "Are you ok?" He asked as she started trying to stretch her wings.

"Yeah, just... You know how you sit funny and your leg falls asleep? Muscles I don't even have hurt," Kerri said. "I just need a minute to..."

Kurt blushed as she leaned forward and her gown slipped down her shoulders. He turned away to preserve her privacy, but Kerri put her hand on his arm. "Don't look away..."

Kurt looked back. 'Aber..." He stopped when she stretched her wings up and shook her back, the shiver moving up to only her wings, then they disappeared, leaving only a smooth expanse of skin.

"Sorry, I can't change if someone's not looking." Kerri sat up then looked down, she was wearing a hospital gown, she looked under the blanket that was over the top part of her legs, worried that she'd be nude down there, but she saw a pair of large, baggy pants. "Who's pants are these?"

Kurt blushed and cleared his throat nervously. "Zhey, ah, zhey are mine... Zhey needed zhe hole for your tail..."

Kerri blushed and said without thinking, "So, I've already gotten into your pants."

Kurt's eyes widened and his blush deepened. "Ahhh..."

Dr. McCoy came out of the office and told Kerri with a grin and a chuckle, "I see that you've attacked the bed already."

* * *

The next day Kerri was released from the med lab, and told that it seemed like she had burned through her extra energy by tearing up the robot.

Kerri sat down at the table for lunch, Kitty right behind her. "You got out just in time to go out this weekend! I want to go to the club!"

Kerri was confused. "Don't you have to be twenty-one to go to a club?"

"No, only eighteen, at some of them," Kitty told her, taking a bite of her food.

"I'm only seventeen, though," Kerri told her.

"Close enough, we'll get you in," Kitty said.

"Kitty, I, uh, don't zhink zhat is a good idea..." Kurt said. He'd been to the club with her before, and knew the kind of dancing that happened there. It was dark, close, sweaty, even touchy sometimes.

"Why not, Kurt? Afraid that some one might grope you again?" Kitty teased.

Kurt blushed and looked at Kerri, worrying how she'd take the news that he'd been groped.

"You get groped there? I don't know... Sounds creepy..." Kerri said, looking unsure.

"Ok, sourpusses, we don't have to go." Kitty sighed and took another bite of her food. "What's playing at the movie theater?"

* * *

Kerri got to the bottom of the stairs, finding she was the first one to arrive.

She laughed as she thought about Kitty getting to her door, any minute now, and seeing that she was missing. She wondered if Kitty would think she ran away or something.

Kerri swished her tail around, having to pull her pants down a good ways so that it didn't get stuck in them.

The jeans she was wearing were nice, they even had a design she'd drawn on them. There was a waterfall starting at her thigh and crashing into a pool surrounded by rocks, which were on the rolled up cuff. It was drawn in black ink on dark blue denim, so it just looked like a bunch of scribbles if you didn't look close. The other leg had birds flying above a ship on water, which was hidden under the rolled up cuff, since she had drawn it before it was warm enough to roll up her pants. Her boots were pulled up to meet the rolled up pant legs, and she had on the top that Kitty had "fixed" for her.

She nervously paced back and forth, her tail swaying, and tried not to let anyone see her, still a little worried about her tail.

Her father's voice came back to her, _"What do I always tell you?"_

Kerri stopped pacing. When she had been unconscious she'd been not in a dream world, but in memories.

When she'd gone to the county fair and first seen a mutant, and been exposed to the awfulness that man could think of.

She'd asked the pig woman, "Why do you need a cage to protect you?" The pig woman had shown her some of the scars on her back, some from whips, some from knives, some, she'd said, were just from people doing what they do.

It had been a lot for her little seven-year old mind to handle, she'd always suspected that some people were mean because they could be, but she'd never even thought of some of the things they could do.

She'd cried for the woman that night, how her life had gone, and the pain she'd suffered.

How fair was it that she could wear ears and a tail because she wanted to, and just take them off when she started having problems?

Her father had comforted her, telling her that he was proud that she could see through all the lies they tried to put up about mutants, and that she was going to grow into a smart, beautiful woman one day, and that he'd always be proud of her.

She'd almost blocked out that memory, along with most of her memories of her father. When she'd been living at home, it had been easier to just remember that he'd loved her, and not remember anything specific, because they'd always found a way to hurt her, not usually physically, because someone might actually notice that, but mentally, verbally, emotionally, and even socially.

They'd turned her from a happy, caring little girl, to a quiet, withdrawn adolescent, who was too wary of people to talk to them most of the time. And when she did talk to them, she sounded like an encyclopedia a lot of the time, so kids stopped talking to her.

She'd also remembered the first time she'd seen Kurt. She was drawn to him, even then, even when she couldn't see his real self.

She blushed as she remembered her first feelings for him, and turned to continue her nervous pacing.

There was a Bamf sound, and she turned her head to see where Kurt had appeared, but he had landed right in her path, after falling a few feet to the ground so he didn't accidentally teleport into anyone or thing, and she ran into him.

Kurt grabbed Kerri so she didn't fall over, though he knew she could probably catch herself with no problems. He tried not to blush, and refused to admit that maybe it was because he wanted to hold her close

"Sorry...Are you ok?" He asked, still holding her.

Kerri looked up at him. "Yeah," she pushed her tail back into nothingness and looked to the ground, trying to make the blood stay out of her cheeks.


	22. Training suit, yay!

**[AN: Hi all! Just want to say that I am so happy that there are so many people who have read and like my story! At first, I was worried that no one would like or read it, but it's doing decently, so yay! Without further ado, here it is, hot and straight to you! I hope you enjoy it, please feel free to message me, review, or just read!]**

* * *

All through the movies, Kurt snuck glances at Kerri, wondering what he could do to get closer, maybe put his arm around her? His hand went to grip the arm as he resituated himself and his tail in the chair, brushing her hand when it got there.

Kerri jumped, her arm subconsciously pulling away from being touched, and her eyes turning to see what had touched her. She saw Kurt's hand and she blushed, looking away and putting her hand back, touching his.

Kurt felt something touch his hand and he moved one of his large digits to run across it, it was smooth, soft...

He felt something slip around his finger, then three more, and he looked over to see Kerri's hand on his, her eyes focused on the screen studiously, and a light blush on her cheeks. Kurt felt his face heat up and his heart race as he looked back to the screen.

She was holding his hand!

Her hand was just sitting on his hand, like she didn't even care that they were different. He closed his hand around hers, feeling how much smaller her fingers were compared to his. He looked back to her, seeing that she had a hint of a smile, and wondered how she didn't notice how different they were.

In the car their hands lay on the seat, touching, and as Kurt walked Kerri to her room, Piotr and Kitty passing them on the way to her room to say good night, their hands kept brushing against each other.

Kerri turned to Kurt as she stopped at her door and told him, "I, um, I had a good night..." Pink crept up her face.

'Should I try to kiss her?' Kurt thought, 'Is it too soon?' His body started forward an inch, but stopped there, unsure.

Kerri noticed his awkwardness, she guessed that he might try to kiss her, because she was also thinking about kissing him, but...

She was still nervous about kissing him.

She looked at the floor and an apologetic look came across her face. "I'm sorry... I- I'm still not ready..."

Kurt let out his breath. He was relieved that he didn't have to worry about it right now, but he felt let down that he didn't get to kiss her yet. "Es ist ok, Kerri, I can vait," he assured her.

Kerri laid in bed that night, still feeling so elated that she couldn't sleep. It was strange what a simple touching of skin could do.

She could hear the soft almost summer wind, and she felt the urge to go wander downstairs, or outside. It felt like it took forever, but she finally fell asleep.

Meanwhile, Kurt laid in bed, staring at his hands.

They were so different from Kerri's...

Her fingers were small and delicate, while his were large and strange...

Kurt fell into a fitful sleep, having half conscious dreams that made him wonder if he was awake or asleep.

* * *

Kerri was wondering if she should start using the fashion of a skirt over pants to her advantage with her tail coming out so much.

She'd stopped stopping it. She still tried not to show it off or let too many people see it, but having to pull her pants half way down her butt like a plumber effectively mooning everyone wasn't something she wanted to do either.

She especially had trouble with it when she was thinking about Kurt, she was so happy that her tail started swishing back and forth by itself whenever there was someone who was nearby to notice her change.

That was another thing she'd noticed; she didn't necessarily need to have anyone look right at her to change anymore, if they noticed her enough to know she was there it was usually enough for her tail to pop out on it's own.

Kerri entered the danger room, expecting to see Kurt there already, he usually got there before her, probably so they could brief him on the training, because they pretty much just threw her in there with him these days. However, she was greeted by Logan holding some semi shiny fabric in his hands. Curious, she tilted her head as she walked up to him.

"Here, Kid, go get changed," he said as he threw the bundle of cloth at her.

She caught it and wandered off to the locker room, glad that she had clothes to use, not wanting to destroy her new work out outfit.

She unfolded the clothes, and looked at them in wondering confusion. there was a long sleeve leotard kind of thing and a pair of boots, that seemed to be made out of the same material as the leotard, but with soft soles on the bottom. She felt the strange material, it felt soft and stretchy, but also dense and tough.

'Strange,' she thought, 'how can it be both at once?'

She laid it out and started pulling the leotard on. It was a little shiny in a reflective way, although it seemed to mostly absorb light and blend into the shadows.

'Great for jumping out to scare people,' she thought with a suppressed laugh.

As she pulled it up, she noticed that the back was almost cut out, it was mostly gone with two straps across the back making an X and leaving the spots that wings would grow from uncovered, then the back came in at her hips, only to have a triangle cut out at her tailbone. 'For my tail,' she supposed. Then she put her arms down the long sleeves, her fingers catching on something, she looked down, realizing that the sleeves were open, but had little spaces to put her fingers out, so that her palm was out, but the back of her hand was covered.

Then she pulled on the boots, they looked like they'd only go to her knee, but she pulled them up and they went to mid thigh, leaving only a few inches between the end of the leotard and the tops of them. She looked down and saw that the front tops of them were gone, leaving space for her feet to grow into talons, while still having a bottom to protect her feet from anything that might be on the ground.

She looked at herself in the long mirror on the wall and decided that they had made it so that she could easily change into the form she'd used before in the danger room. She liked it, despite it being skin tight like spandex. She also though that she'd have to think pretty hard to come up with anything as cool.

Kurt entered the danger room, fully changed, going up to Logan to get the plans for the training. "Vhat are ve doing today?"

"Rescue the princess," Logan told him, turning to go up the stairs into the control room.

Kurt laughed, rescue the princess.

He could just teleport into there and get the dummy usually, but they had started putting up obstacles to make it harder for him. He wasn't sure how it was going to go now, since they'd combined his and Kerri's activities in the danger room to give them more team work practice, mostly for Kerri's benefit, the Professor had told him.

He was jolted out of thought as the door opened, and he looked up to see Kerri putting her long hair up so it didn't get in the way.

His eyes widened and he had to clench his jaw so that it didn't drop.

His eyes traveled up from her toes to her shoulders, and his tail flicked when he caught sight of the back, cut out all the way to the sides, a hole similar to his for her tail.

He gulped. He'd seen a lot of X-men uniforms before, but never thought of any of them as sexy.

Kerri turned her head for a second of hyperventilating before taking a breath and letting her nervous emotions that Kurt was seeing her in this outfit roll off. It wasn't like she was naked, or even mostly naked, or anything.

She turned back around and walked up to him asking, "Um, what are we doing today?" It came out way more shyly than she liked, but she couldn't take it back now.

"Ah, re- rescue zhe princess." Kurt swallowed and took a breath to try and clear his head.

"Ready, and go," Ororo said over the speakers, and the room shimmered, turning into a crumbling city.

"Popular setting," Kerri commented. "So, where do we go?" She looked to Kurt.

"Ve have to look around, but zhe pazh looks clear zhat vay," he said as he pointed forward.

Kerri started walking and Kurt followed. They walked for a few moments before they encountered a group of burly men, ten to be exact.

They didn't look happy to see the pair, either, so Kerri figured they must be the baddies here.

Kurt teleported from her side, appearing on the other side of the group with a Bamf and distracted at least a few of them, while Kerri pressed herself, her body pushing into the part gargoyle part human part peregrine falcon form she'd accidentally made.

It felt natural, somehow, like she was comfortable in it since being trapped in it for two days while she was unconscious.

A baddie ran at her and she brought one foot up, coiling the muscle against her chest, kicking out when he got close enough, careful not to gut him with her clawed toes. The baddie flew across the area at Kurt.

Kerri leaned down, stretching her wings above her and stretching the muscles in her chest and shoulders too, then stood up, rolling her shoulders and stretching all down her back, then onto her taloned toes and stretching from her waist down, her tail flicking with the stretch.

"Now, here we go," Logan told Ororo and Charles.

"What does that mean?" Ororo asked, turning to him.

"She's about to get started," Logan told her from his arms crossed, leaning position.

Kerri flapped her wings a few times, and leaped into the air, gained altitude then turned into a dive, and shot past the group, her tail flowing in a spiral behind her, flicking out to knock people off their feet and fly across the ground as she passed.

Kurt paused to watch her pass and was grabbed by one of them.

He was about to teleport when the Professer's voice was in his head, '_Don't teleport, let her work it out.'_

_'Great, so I'm zhe princess?'_ He asked back, his mental voice thicker in accent than his verbal one.

_'So it would seem,'_ the Professor answered, and he could almost hear the humorous chuckle.

Kerri landed and ran at the group. "Let him go!"

She was about to leap into a kick when she heard Xavier's voice in her head. _'Don't fight unless you have to, try to talk it out with them.'_ He could feel her agitation at his direction, but she flared her wings and landed short of hitting the man she was aimed at.

She sighed, "Let him go." The man just stared at her, not saying anything. Kerri closed her eyes, sighing in exasperation, "You're going to make me use the magic words?" She looked back to the man. "Let him go, please."

The man laughed, startling her. "He's going to the mutie farm, little girl."

Kerri's eyes turned hard and her tail snapped against the ground and began to undulate in agitation, but she stayed still otherwise, and her voice came out with a hard edge, "I'm not a little girl. Let him go."

"Make me, little girl." The man pulled out a laser pistol and aimed it at her.

She gritted her teeth, knowing that she still needed to follow Xavier's directions and not attack.

She took a steadying breath and her body shifted slightly as she flicked her tail straight, with the tip by his head. When he turned to look, she turned and her tail flashed to the gun, knocking his hand loose, grabbing the gun and flinging it behind her. "You have no power, let him go."

Her eyes flashed to where Kurt was, surrounded by the other figments of the danger room's imagination who were crowding around him. One of them pulled out a knife and was waving it in front of his now nervous face.

"Kurt can't you teleport?" Kerri asked, feeling the tenseness of the situation growing, and her tail started swinging in big, long loops behind her.

"Nein, zhere are too many of zhem for me to teleport now," he told her, his nervousness about the baddie with the knife growing.

Kerri let out an agitated huff, looking over the situation; Kurt was across the space from her, four of the guys on him so he couldn't teleport, five in a group half way in between him and her, not going in any direction yet, and the leader was staring at her like she was a lion in the Savannah he was about to capture.

Kerri couldn't speak telepathically to the professor, but she had been working on the feeling based telepathy he had suggested. She focused and sent an agitated wave of question at him, hoping he understood.

Charles felt a surge of question, and knew that she was asking, "What now?" but he didn't answer. He didn't want her to be a puppet there to do his bidding, he wanted her to be able to work on her own, doing the right thing without being told.

Kerri waited for as long as she could stand seeing the baddie with the knife wave it in Kurt's face, which was only a few moments longer. She growled, baring her clenched, pointed teeth. "Fine, I will do it on my own!" Her tail lashed agitatedly around behind her, snapping like a whip as it turned.

She turned to fully face the leader and almost yelled, "Let him go or I will make you!"

"Glad to hear it little girl, make my day," the fool told her, getting into a hand to hand stance.

Kurt looked to Kerri, and felt worried. He'd seen that agitation before. His tail, while not as long or snappy, had only made that motion a few times, and the feeling he could feel radiating from her was the same type of rage/frustration he'd seen Logan display before, right before he tore things into tiny pieces. Good thing they were in the danger room and she couldn't really kill the people holding him hostage.

Kerri dug her talons into the ground and closed her eyes, her hands starting over her whole face then sliding up to clench into fists in her hair, her arms still over her eyes, and she focused, bringing to mind the anatomy picture of a human. She over laid it with the man waiting for her to attack, somehow managing to see a shadowy version of the area with her eyes closed.

Her legs tensed and the protective web over the blade like fin retracted, curling so that it pointed out, then it shot through the air, flying straight through the holographic excuse for a human.

Right through the spot of muscles at the side of his stomach, so she didn't hit anything vital.

She jerked it back out, letting it swing down and behind her, and turned the feeling communication she'd been working on into her next weapon, focusing on that last night in her mother's house, the lowest point she'd felt in her life, taking all the feelings she'd felt and turning them into a cloud, with her hands she mentally threw it over the group of five who were standing staring in shock at the leader, who was laying on the ground bleeding. There was a chance that she would just be telling them that she felt horrible, but if it worked like she was hoping, they should at least stop and ponder existence for a moment.

They were hit and fell to the ground, writhing in apparent agony.

Kerri had a slightly dark look to her as she stepped forward, a sheen of sweat gleaming on her and her breath coming fast. "Let him go or I'll make you, too."

The four thought better of this and turned tail, speeding off.

Kerri's shoulders fell, but the dark look didn't disappear from her face as the emotions she'd brought up still swirled around inside of her.

"Are you ok, Kerri?" Kurt asked, teleporting next to her exhausted, panting figure.

"I'm fine..." She said, her voice still dark as well, as she looked at the ground to avoid eye contact.

"Vhat, ah, vhat did you do to zhem?" He asked, looking over at the bodies on the ground.

Her tail waved through the air, and she thought for a moment that it could still be dangerous, but she wasn't sure if she could stop swinging everything in agitation and her own dark emotions, so she closed her eyes, pushing away her battle form and letting her normal tail hang from her extended spine. "Nothing," she denied. "Although they might try to kill themselves if they weren't holograms," she gestured as the image faded, then walked away to the door and locker rooms as Kurt looked back to where they had been, stunned.

In the control room Ororo turned to Logan and commented, "I see why she's your student."

Logan didn't respond, just let out a gruff humph of laughter and blew out cigar smoke.

Charles pointed to a diagram on the screen he was looking at, a human form with a slice marked on it. "She missed any vital organs or arteries, and it's too precise to be chance, I think."

Ororo looked over his shoulder. "That's amazing... How did she do that?"

"I'm not sure..." He trailed off, thinking about the other question he had; the cloud of emotion she'd thrown at the group, he could feel it from the control room, and it was one of the most horrible feelings he'd ever felt, it was something like, horror, repulsion, hate, confusion, mistrust, misery, lost hope... All formed into a cloud of singular thought and oppressing the ones she'd attacked with it until they had fallen, unable to fight.

He wondered if she had this feeling inside of her all the time, or if she was recalling some memory.

* * *

Kerri sat down across from Kurt that Friday, and he noticed that her face was once again bright and lively, her cheeks were pinker, her lips were redder, and he sometimes saw a flash that he thought might be a mischievous glint in her eye.

'She's so very beautiful...' He thought, and couldn't help but realize that he was so very, not...

She looked up, catching him looking at her and gave him a sweet smile that made her face light up and the mischievous glint flicker.

His heart raced, and he looked at his food.

Kerri's face contorted slightly in confusion. She'd caught him looking at her, but when she smiled at him, trying to get a smile back, he'd looked away. Why? Was he suddenly not interested in her? Was it what she'd done in the danger room?

"Kerri, I asked what you want to do tomorrow?" Kitty asked the distracted girl again.

"I don't know, whatever you guys decide..." She trailed off, her face drifting to look at the table, still distracted.

"Well, what are you going to do today after school?" Kitty asked.

Kerri looked up at Kurt suddenly and instead of answering Kitty she asked him, "Kurt will you help me practice tumbling today? After school?"

Kurt looked up at her, seeing the nervous plea in her eyes. "Ja, Ich vill..." {Yes, I want to}

"Danke," she said quietly, worried that she was losing the connection she'd felt last Saturday after they'd held hands. {thank you}

Kitty looked at Kerri, thinking, 'Finally! One of them is making a move!'

* * *

Kerri walked to the danger room with Kurt, insisting that they walk together instead of letting him go do whatever it was he did first.

"Kurt," she started as they walked down the hall, but lost her nerve.

"Ja?" He turned his head to look at her.

"Do- dooooo," she bit her lip. She wanted to know, why was it so hard to ask?

Kurt stopped as she stopped walking and looked at her, waiting nervously for her to say what she was thinking.

Kerri felt her tail getting pinched by her pants and slid them down a little so it could escape. 'Always be comfortable being yourself,' she repeated in her head.

"Do- do you- do you- do you like me?" She stuttered out, her cheeks feeling like they were on fire as she clamped her eyes closed and faced the floor.

Kurt was so shocked by her question that he took a step back. "Ja, I- I told you zhat I do..."

"But do you still?" She turned her eyes up to him.

"Ja, yes. I still do like you," he told her, feeling a melting of his nervousness about how different they looked.

She wanted to kiss him. Right now. "Kurt," she leaned forward a little. "I..." She felt her body tensing, refusing to go forward, her breath seemed stalled in her chest.

A breath rushed in and she flung herself at him, worrying that if she hesitated she'd lose her nerve again, ending with her nose in his neck and her arms around him. "I like you too, very much, I'm just nervous. Sorry..."

Kurt wrapped his arms around her. "It's ok, Kerri." 'I'm nervous too...' He thought.


	23. Kerri's a nerd!

**[AN: Sorry it's out late, giant cluster f**k at work that makes it so I have to stay after and train everyone who's doing the graves, this is the third week. Anyway, on with the story! Here it is, hot and straight to you, please feel free to vote, comment, message me, or just read!]**

* * *

Kerri sat on her bed, waiting for Kitty to come get her, as she knew she would, and tormented herself with questions.

Why couldn't she kiss him? She wanted to, she definitely wanted to.

Maybe it was because her first kisses hadn't been so good.

She'd "gone out" with a boy in middle school, as close as you get anyway, pretty much sitting with him at lunch and assemblies, but she was never allowed to go anywhere besides home and school, so she couldn't really go on a date.

The first time they'd kissed, he'd tried to french her, and it had been wet and hot and gross. Then, she figured that she was just new and not good at it, but after kissing a couple more times, she had to conclude that either she was bad at kissing, he was bad at kissing, or that kissing was just gross, and they'd broken up soon after because she refused to kiss him any more. Then a rumor had gone around the school that she didn't like kissing, then one started that it was because she was a lesbian, all resulting in no one asking her out after that.

The knock came at her door and she went to it, checking the mirror as she passed. She had on normal clothes, nothing fancy, and a headband to keep her hair, except for her bangs, back from her face but letting it fall down her back freely.

She opened the door, expecting to see Kitty, but instead was surprised to see Kurt.

"Ah, Kitty- Kitty said zhat I had to come get you..." Kurt told her nervously, leaving out the part where she'd said that she was sick of doing his dirty work if Kerri wouldn't even let her pick out some sexy clothes for the date.

And that he'd started wondering what kind of sexy clothes Kerri had hidden away.

* * *

When they got to the mall, which Kerri was starting to suspect was Kitty's second home, Kitty asked where people wanted to go first, and they decided to start at one end and move from there.

They walked past shops, and saw that there was a sale coming out of the doors of a movie and music store.

Kurt wandered over and started digging through the bins of movies, which were mostly old ones.

Kerri wandered by him. "Looking for anything in particular?"

"Nein, vell, I guess I hevn't seen _Captain Blood_ in a vhile..." Kurt told her, trying not to sound like he was really interested.

"_Captain Blood_..." Kerri mumbled. "You mean the old black and white pirate movie?"

"Ja," Kurt answered, a little surprised that she knew about it.

"Yeah, Kurt has a man crush on Errol Flynn," Kitty put in from another bin.

"Nein, I just like pirate movies..." Kurt rebutted with a hint of pink trying to creep onto his face.

Kerri smiled humorously. "You really are a swashbuckler, huh?"

Kurt just blushed, fearing that she was teasing him.

"What about _Pirates of the Caribbean_?" She asked him.

"Ah, vell I guess I haven't really seen any recent vones..." Kurt admitted, thinking that he was caught.

"_Pirates of the Caribbean_ isn't recent, Kurt, there are like five of them," Kitty teased from where she was looking at discount cds.

Kerri chuckled silently for a second, then turned to Kurt. "They're good, a few of the only good newer pirate movies." She looked for a minute, then pulled out a used copy from the organized bins and handed it to Kurt.

He looked at it, deciding that it looked good, and kept it in his hand as he continued looking.

Kerri blushed. "You, um, you don't have to get it just because I handed it to you, I won't be offended..."

"Nein, it sounds like it should be ok," he assured her.

They continued down the hall and Kerri was shocked at a sudden scenery change as Kitty grabbed her and jerked her through a doorway on the side.

She looked around and saw cutesy underwear everywhere, and looked back to see Kurt and Piotr standing outside with a blush on their cheeks as she was dragged deep into the store.

"So, what size are you?" Kitty asked her, wandering to a rack of cute bras.

Kerri's face heated. "Uh, I- I don't know..."

"What do you mean you don't know, you're wearing a bra now, right? What size is it?" Kitty asked like she was crazy.

"Um... It' think..." She looked around at the cute bras that she'd never had the courage to wear. They were nice, but she didn't ever think she could wear something like that, after all, didn't you get bras like that to show them off? And she had been teased for being fat in school, and who wanted to see a fat girl in her underwear?

She looked down at herself, she was thinner, definitely not as thin as Kitty, but as long as she didn't jiggle when she walked, she was happy.

She hadn't realized that Kitty had grabbed a few bras as she pulled her over to the dressing rooms and pushed her in. "Here, these are cute!"

"What do you want me to do with these?" Kerri asked, confused.

"Try them on, duh!" Kitty laughed.

"Well, I know, but I mean, I don't have any money, and I'm already wearing a bra," Kerri told her.

"Just try them on! At least you'll know your size if you ever wanted to get a new one," Kitty answered through the door.

"Ok," Kerri answered, and set about trying on the bras. They were colorful and bright, just the way Kerri liked things, even if she didn't wear them that way.

After she'd tried them on, going pretty quick since some of them didn't fit, she walked out to see Kitty looking in a bin of lacy underwear.

Kitty looked up as she came closer. "So?"

Kerri answered, "I went down two band sizes. I didn't notice how uncomfortable it was before."

Kitty let her leave as she went to the counter to buy a few things, and she walked out to find Kurt and Piotr sitting on a bench.

Kitty came out of the store and they all continued down the hall, passing an arcade.

Kerri stopped, hearing a song she recognized from the den of nerdiness.

She loved to play video games, and she could hear a DDR game in there playing one of the funnest songs she'd played.

"Hey, Kerri, you want to go in there?" Kitty asked, surprised.

Kerri turned back to them, a little embarrassed, saying, "Um, it's ok, just heard a song I like."

Kurt turned to the other two and asked, "Vant to go in?"

"Yeah, let's go check it out," Kitty said, and they entered.

Kerri felt the dark, noisy, crowded atmosphere and felt comfortable; here no one looked at you weird for quoting games or movies, a challenge could be friendly, and they didn't harass you for being weird and different.

She laughed as she saw a nerd peek around the corner of his game, his eyes widening when he saw two girls enter.

They wandered a little, and Kitty handed Kurt a five. "Here, go buy your girlfriend a game."

Kurt blushed, but knew it was pointless to argue or refuse money from Kitty, so he walked over to where Kerri was watching a boy play a fighting game, seeming not to notice that he was nervously glancing at her. She had her hands clasped behind her, her chest poking out slightly more than usual, and Kurt felt a slight irritation as he saw the boy looking at it.

"Kitty told us to play somezhing," he held out the five.

Kerri raised her eyebrows. "Really? Jeez, she throws money around like it's water, is she rich or something?"

"Ja, a little bit," Kurt told her.

She took the five from his hand. "Well this is one charitable act that I'm not going to fight with. Stay here and save the machine, I'm going to get quarters."

"Ok," he said as she wandered off.

He watched the boy play, pumping quarters into the machine and fighting various opponents, until Kerri got back. She placed a quarter on the side of the screen. "Vhat is zhat for?" He asked.

"Saving our place," she told him. "Now, when he dies, it'll be our turn."

After a few moments the boy died, but put another quarter into the machine.

Kurt turned. "I zhought you said it vould be our turn?"

Her face was quizzically contorted, with one eyebrow up and her cheek in her teeth. "Yeah, well this kid apparently doesn't know there are such a thing as real girl gamers. But I know how to fix this."

Kurt was about to ask what she was going to do when she put her hands behind her, clasping them and pulling them down to her butt, so that her chest poked out farther, then leaned over and tilted her head. Kurt blushed looking at her in this position and tried to stop his tail from flicking out of his hologram.

Kerri paused a moment, making sure that the boy was looking at her before she let out a girlish giggle.

Kurt stared in wonder as the boy let go of the controls mid fight and walked away, face red.

Kerri hopped over, took over the controls, and started playing. "Ha-ha, don't worry little boy, I'll finish the game for you..."

"Vhat did you do?" Kurt asked confused.

"Well, it was my game, I held it."

"I mean, vhat happened?" He asked again.

"Oh, he didn't take me seriously, so I used a trick on him..." She trailed off as she fought the enemy on the screen.

"Vhich vas?" Kurt still didn't understand what had happened.

"Well, you know, young boy nerds are awkward around girls... They don't know how to act, or something... Different species..." Kerri paused for a second. "Yes! Kicked his butt!" She turned to him. "So I made him so awkward that he left. Ready to play?"

"Um, ok," Kurt stepped up to the second player spot and tried to figure out how to put his hands on the console. "But how does zhat vork?"

"You didn't see?" She smiled and leaned over to help him.

Kurt stiffened as he felt Kerri's breasts press into his arm as she helped arrange his fingers for easy playing.

Her hands stayed on his for an extra moment before she pulled away and answered as she put quarters in the machine. "I don't have the normal apparel of a nerdy girl on, so I looked like a preppy hitting on him, throwing these around," she shrugged her shoulder to indicate her chest as she picked a character. "Cross clique flirtation makes nerds nervous, like someone is playing a joke on them."

Kurt played and lost a few times before Kerri got bored and suggested finding another game. He noticed that she didn't use her trick any more, and that her personality here was similar to when she was in the danger room; competitive in a joking sort of way, and mostly just having fun.

"Vhat about zhis game?" Kurt asked, pointing to a game called _Gauntlet Legends_.

"Good choice, co-op would do you some good," she joked and walked over to the game. "Do you mind some team mates?" she asked the boy who was already there.

"Sure," he answered, giving them a once over.

The game announced their appearance and they started walking around, fighting monsters and gathering items. They played through the stage, and Kurt noticed that the other guy was taking sideways looks at Kerri, who was too busy destroying monsters and clearing a path to notice.

"Good game," Kerri told the guy when they finished, shaking his hand when he stuck it out.

"You too," he glanced at Kurt questioningly then back to Kerri. "My name's Chance."

Kerri was used to the nerd sub language vocabulary, but Kurt felt like they were having two conversations at once, and only one that he could understand.

"I'm Kerri." She put her hand on Kurt's elbow, "and this is my boyfriend, Kurt."

"Hallo," he said, his heart beating fast at her calling him her boyfriend.

"Hi, nice to meet you." He turned back to Kerri. "Well, darn, see you later I guess."

Kurt looked at Kerri confused. "Vhy darn?"

Kerri bit her lip. "He was hitting on me."

Kurt's eyes widened in surprise. "I didn't hear zhat!"

Kerri laughed, "That's because he's a nerd, and you hang out with Kitty, who is in the preppy class. Which has totally different ways of hitting on people, totally different social languages."

"Oh," Kurt said, realizing that she really must like him, since she'd apparently rejected that guy without him even knowing he had competition.

They found Kitty and Piotr at the front, where Kitty was playing on a claw machine.

Kerri felt in her pocket, there was the money she'd saved for DDR. She waited for them to be focusing on Kitty and the claw machine. "I'll be right back," she whispered to Kurt.

"Ok," he answered, and she snuck away to the giant DDR machine.

"Dance Dance Revolution!" It announced as she hit the button. She selected her favorite song and got it set up. The song started and she started to dance on the platform, stepping on the arrows as they flew up the screen.

"I give up," Kitty said, standing up from the claw game and looking around. "Where's Kerri?"

"Ah, she said she'd be right back," Kurt told her.

"Well, let's go find her," Kitty said and wandered off.

They walked through the arcade, getting closer to a pounding dance beat, and Kurt noticed a couple of boys standing by a machine, watching something from a distance.

He walked closer, wondering what it was, and saw Kerri on the dance machine, her body flowing from one step to the next liquidly, with a little bit of roll to her movements. There were a few guys, including Chance, watching her from behind the bars behind the machine, and he noticed that there were a few more groups of boys half hidden by machines, farther away, watching.

"Wow, she's good," a voice commented at Kurt's shoulder.

Kurt started and turned to see Kitty and Piotr. "Ja."

"She's not shy at all... Must be because she's among her own people," Kitty thought out loud.

"Ja..." Kurt muttered softly.

The song ended and Kerri jumped off of the platform, even though it wasn't necessary.

"Hey, wait, I wanted to challenge you," Chance said.

"Sorry, out of quarters," she answered, shrugging. "Maybe next time, though." She turned and took a step, then froze, catching sight of them. "You saw me, didn't you?"

"And you won't let me take you to the club?" Kitty asked.

"Um..." she blushed and looked down.

Kurt took her hand in his. "You're good at zhat game," he told her, wishing she was as relaxed with him as she was around all the other boys who were here.

"Thanks," she said shyly, and they held hands as they continued around the mall, Kitty again dragging Kerri to go try on clothes while Kurt and Piotr sat on benches.

"We're her people, too," Piotr said in the silence.

"Vhat?" Kurt looked up at him.

"We're her people, too. We're all mutants, and team mates," Piotr told him in his Russian lilt.

Kitty and Kerri exited the store, Kitty carrying a new bag of clothes, and came over to them. "Are you guys ready to go?" She asked

They rode home in silence, and Kerri started worrying about what Kurt was feeling again. Was he weirded out by the way she acted in the arcade? She couldn't help it, it was just so fun and familiar there.

When they got back, Kitty handed Kerri a bag of stuff. "Here, this is yours."

"Uh, but, I didn't get anything..." Kerri told her confused.

"Yeah, I know, I got it for you," Kitty told her, pressing the bag into her hands.

"But, I can't pay you back or anything, I don't have any money..." Kerri told her.

"Don't worry about it! Call it an early birthday present or something," Kitty said, refusing to take the bag back.

* * *

Kerri rolled over on her bed for the umpteenth time and closed her book with a sigh. She was not getting any reading done right now, not with the nice evening breeze coming in through her window and taunting her, enticing her to come play outside. She climbed off of the bed and decided to go for a walk. "Maybe I'll invite Kurt, too," she mumbled to herself, blushing.

She wandered over to the boy's dorm and tried to remember where Kurt's room was. She decided that she thought she had the right door and knocked on it.

Kurt opened his door, hanging upside down on the door frame.

He saw Kerri jump back in surprise, and he dropped to the floor, blushing in nervousness at Kerri seeing his inner sanctuary. "Ah, s-sorry..."

"For what?" Kerri asked.

"For scaring you..."

"It's ok," Kerri smiled laughingly. "I just didn't expect you to be upside down. What are you doing?"

"Nozhing, really..." He nervously admitted.

"Good, I came to ask if you wanted to go for a walk outside?" Kerri was hit by a sudden wave of nervousness, but managed to get the question out.

"Oh, ah, sure," Kurt answered.

They headed outside and Kerri felt her pants pinching her tail as it tried to come out.

Kurt watched as Kerri slid her pants down a few inches and her tail popped out over the waistband. He looked at the ground. "Kerri..."

"Yeah?" she asked as they walked.

"Do- do you like es here?" He asked, voicing the question that had been making him miserable since Kitty's comment at the arcade.

"Yeah, it's nice, and I've got good company. Why?" She asked.

"But, you like es besser at zhe arcade?"

"Eh," she shrugged. "It's ok," she told him.

"But you vere having fun..." he couldn't bring himself to ask if she'd rather be away from here, with different people, a normal boyfriend, normal friends...

"Well, yeah," she laughed. "That's because there were games there."

"Aber, but you looked so different zhere..." he looked at the ground as she stopped walking.

"I- is that a bad thing?" She quietly asked, nervous again that he had been weirded out.

"N-nein!' Kurt looked up to see her nervous eyes looking up at him, and realized what she must think he meant. He took her hand in his and held it up between them, watching it as he told her, "It's just... Zhey are so normal..." He turned off his inducer. "Vhile I am not..."

Kerri was watching their hands while he talked, and a smile came over her face when he turned the inducer off.

She looked up into his eyes. "Kurt, don't they have nerds in the circus? Nerds are social outcasts that get picked on and made fun of. They are not considered 'normal', they're considered weird and the only people who really understand them are other nerds. Besides, I don't want to do this with any of them." She pulled her hand from his, but her body still refused to let her kiss him, so she wrapped her arms around him, pressing close against his chest.

Kurt put his hands on her back, holding her close. He felt better, his feelings resolved. He also felt like maybe now was the time to kiss her. He pulled back and put his hand on her jaw.

Kerri looked into his eyes, he was going to kiss her. 'Yes,' she thought, hoping that would help her actually kiss him. His eyes stared into hers and he moved his face closer, waiting for her to tilt her chin up and accept the kiss.

The smile faded and her brow knitted as she tried to force her chin up, but the harder she tried, the harder it was. 'Now, now is the time, do it!' She thought as she desperately tried to accept the kiss. Her chin fell to her chest as she gave up. Tears were prickling in her eyes as she apologized softly, "I'm sorry Kurt... I can't..."

He pulled her close again. "It's alright, Kerri," he told her.

But she didn't think so. She held onto him and buried her face in his neck.


	24. These are the papers you're looking for

**[AN: Hi everyone! Had a little time as we're getting to the end of my weekend, so here's another chapter for you, I hope you enjoy it!]**

* * *

"Kerri, I think that you are doing very well so far, I just wanted to tell you that. You seem to have opened up quite a bit in the last little while," Professor Xavier told Kerri as they sat in his office.

Kerri nodded, but didn't say anything.

"Can you think of any possible reasons for this? Comfort, social relationships, friendly or romantic..." He trailed off and Kerri hid her face by looking down as a small smile grew.

There was the answer. One question left, an important one for if she was ever to be considered for being an X-Man. "Kerri, when you were in the Danger Room, running the rescue the princess scenario," he paused as Kerri interrupted him.

"And Kurt was the princess," she smiled laughingly.

"Yes, and Kurt was the princess." He smiled at her glee, glad that she was showing some emotions finally. "You threw a cloud of feelings over your opponent." Kerri nodded, but didn't expand on the subject. "Those emotions, how close to you are they?"

Kerri looked up at him, confused. "How do you mean?"

"The emotions you used in the Danger Room, are you feeling them right now?"

"No," she told him, taken aback.

"But you've felt them in the past?" He probed verbally, remembering that she would feel it if he tried to probe telepathically.

Her face turned red and he could feel shame and embarrassment radiating from her as she muttered softly, "Yeah..."

"What was that feeling?" He asked.

"You, you don't know?" Kerri asked, looking back up to him.

"Well, I could feel the components, but I was unable to tell what the over all theme was," he admitted.

"I- it's ok, it's not important," she told him a little hastily. "It was a one time thing."

Xavier thought about this for a moment, then decided that it was best to leave it for now. "Alright, then, moving on. What skills would you say that you have that could possibly transfer over into a job, or real life?"

"Well, I can manage pretty well on the streets, guess you'd call it streetwise... I can get things for really cheep, like groceries and stuff... I could tutor people... I can drive a car, or van, or truck, or whatever... I have a lot of random knowledge that doesn't really help to a point... I think everything else I've learned here..." Kerri tried to list off skills she thought would help.

"I'm sure Rouge would enjoy not having to shop for over two hundred people, if you could pass a practice run at that. You'd need to have your licence, though." He told her.

'I don't have it with me... I could go home, but that would be stupid... I could get another one, maybe...' Kerri thought, trying to figure out a way. "I might need some time on that... I think I need to go to the DMV and get a new one issued." She told him.

"Alright, then. Tell me when you've managed to get a copy of it and we'll put you through a practice run." Xavier told her, excusing her from their session.

Kerri sat at the lunch table, biting her lip and thinking how she could go about getting a copy of her license. She'd have to go to the DMV, obviously, but would she need her papers? She didn't have any of them with her. She didn't have anything she'd left home with.

She'd only had two or three weeks of clothes, the rest was food. And enough clothes to last three weeks at the most got worn out fast when you had to wash them on a rock in the stream or in the bathroom somewhere, and there was the occasional loss due to someone finding it, or her having to shift, which sometimes meant losing clothes if she shrank too small or grew too big and ripped out of them, she was glad she hadn't done that around anyone here yet.

"Vhat's wrong, Kerri?" Kurt asked her.

"Oh, just trying to figure out what I need to do to get a copy of my drivers license," she told him, giving him a smile.

Kitty looked over to her. "We could go this weekend, I think they're open on Saturday..."

Kerri shook her head, "Only during school, which is so handy, right? I can get there on the bus, the problem is the papers... I don't have any of them."

"What papers?" Kitty asked.

"Birth certificate, social security card, you know," Kerri told her.

* * *

Kurt was holding on to Kerri's legs as she walked around on her hands, she was getting so close to being able to do it on her own, but she couldn't quite get there yet, only managing a few steps before she tumbled over.

Kerri fell to the ground with an, "Ow." She pulled her pants down to let her tail out, and Kurt saw the side of the pale, creamy expanse of skin leading to her butt.

'Nicht anstarren,' Kurt thought to himself as he tried to stop, 'nicht anstarren, nicht anstarren, nicht anstarren...' {don't stare}

Kerri's tail started to swish back and forth friskily, and Kurt looked up to see her looking across her shoulder at him. "Are you staring at my butt?" She asked with her eyebrows raised and a small smile on her face, knowing she'd caught him red handed.

Kurt's face turned bright red as he tried to deny it. "Ah, I- I, vell- ah..." Kerri laughed quietly and turned toward him so he couldn't see it anymore. "Vhat I mean to say is, zhat if you use your tail, it vill helfen zu keep you up. On your hands."

"Mm-hm," Kerri hummed at him teasingly. She stood on her hands and Kurt caught her ankles, looking up to avoid staring at her butt again. Kerri tickled his neck and chin with her tail and he looked down at her, blushing, and saw that she was looking up at him. "You know, it is ok to look at your girlfriend's ass every once in a while."

Kurt's eyes widened and he let got of her ankles, stepping back and looking over at Logan to see if he'd heard her.

"You're right, it is easier with the tail out," Kerri said, actually able to stand and walk a little, her tail flicking about to help keep her balance.

"Yeah, it vould be hard vizh out my tail, I know zhat..." He told her, still a little surprised about her comment.

She fell, rolling to the floor. She stayed sitting on the floor, looking out of the window as the tip of her tail twitched.

"Vhat's wrong, Kerri?" Kurt asked, a little shyly.

She looked away from the window to him. "It's just hard to focus when it's so nice outside. This place should have an outside obstacle course or something."

"Ja, vell it kinda does... Come on, I'll show you."

They got out to the woods and Kurt jumped into a tree and hung upside down. "You just run around and try not to fall down. It is good acrobatics training."

Kerri stood looking up at him while biting her lip. "Nnn I don't know about that..."

Kurt dropped to the ground in front of her. "Vhy not? It's very fun."

Kerri mumbled something he couldn't hear, her face going pink.

"Vhat?" Kurt asked, stepping closer.

"I- I'm, uh, I'm afraid of heights..."

Kurt just looked at her. He couldn't imagine anyone being afraid of heights, but, not everyone had lived in the circus, or was as naturally agile as he was. He held out his hand. "Come vizh me, I'll help you." Kerri looked at him doubtfully and continued biting her lip. "You'll never have any fun if you just stand zhere," he told her with a teasing grin, and she slowly put her hand in his. He pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her as he teleported onto a tree branch only ten feet off of the ground.

Kerri looked down and latched onto Kurt, wrapping her arms around him and pressing close to his chest. She closed her eyes and felt too nervous to move.

Kurt's lips turned up in a smile at her pressing so close, and an evil plan came to mind. He wrapped his tail around the branch and grabbed on with his feet, then pushed forward and let them fall until they were hanging upside down on the tree branch.

A gut wrenching screech came from Kerri's mouth and her hands grabbed harder onto Kurt's shirt while her legs clamped around his.

"Don't vory, I vouldn't drop you, aufrichtig," he told her teasingly. {honestly}

She didn't say anything so he turned them around and dropped, landing easily on the ground. "I'm sorry, Kerri," he was nervous that she'd be mad at him, but as soon as her feet touched the ground, she inhaled a breath and her muscles untensed.

"You know, if you wanted me to grab you this tight, you could've just asked," she told him, still pressing close.

Kurt blushed, but decided that he could be bold if she could. "Vell, zhat vasn't my intention, aber, it is a pleasant side effect."

* * *

Kerri walked down the hall from professor Xavier's office. She'd explained that she needed to go to the DMV during school. He'd told her that it would be fine, and that she could leave during fifth period, since she was doing well in the Danger room, and her sixth period was with him.

She walked to lunch and saw Kitty waiting for her. The corner of her mouth quirked in a smile. 'Like I wouldn't come sit with them, I am going out with Kurt now.' Her smile fell as she remembered that even though they were going out, she couldn't even kiss him.

The two girls sat at the table and Kerri looked up to Kurt. "Kurt, Professor Xavier told me to tell you that we don't have danger room today, because I have to go to the DMV."

"Ja, ok," he answered, taking a bite of his food.

"You should go with her!" Kitty jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow, making him choke on his bite for a moment.

"Well, I don't know, I don't know exactly how long it'll be, he might miss part of sixth period." Kerri said, knowing how much he loved drama.

Kurt recovered from choking and took a drink, only to choke on that when Kerri asked, "Hey, Kurt, can I borrow a pair of your pants?"

Kitty looked over with a sly look on her face. "Is that code for something?"

"Yeah, for getting into his pants," Kerri rolled her eyes.

But Kitty must have missed it, because her next question was, "You've been in his pants?!"

Kurt couldn't get a break with breathing this lunch period it seemed, as he continued to cough, and Kerri felt her cheeks heat a little. "Well, if I put them on I'd be in them... I just want to add a hole for my tail in my pants and thought I'd use Kurt's as a pattern. Kurt do you need mouth to mouth or something?" She asked, turning to him.

Kurt took a deep breath and coughed a couple more times. "Nein, nein, ich bin gut..." {no no, I'm good}

"Give him mouth to mouth anyway," Kitty muttered.

* * *

Kerri got off of the bus and walked into the building, scanning the the front area and finding a paper to fill out. After she filled out the forms and waited in the line, she reached the desk, where a bored lady fingering a crystal necklace and wearing large dangley earrings asked what she could do for her.

"I had a driver's licence in Pennsylvania, and now I've moved here and need a new copy because I've lost it," she told the lady.

"Ok, well you'll have to get a New York driver's license, which means you'll have to take the driver's test here, but just the written one, and I'll need your proof of residence," the lady told her.

Kerri thought fast, and decided the best thing to do was a lie. She looked down so the lady couldn't see her close her eyes as she concentrated hard on knowing that she'd seen the papers, feeling satisfied with it and like she wanted to enter the data on the forms. "I handed them to you already, didn't I?" She waved her hand in a mock of the Jedi mind trick, pushing the feelings to the lady.

"Oh, yes, how silly of me, I must've handed them back to you," the lady started typing in the info from the paper she'd filled out. "Ok, Miss Smith, here's the test and book, there are some tables over there, bring it back when you're done."

Kerri took the papers over to the table and filled out the test, which she was allowed to use the book on because she'd already had a license in another state. She took them back up and waited in line for the same lady.

After she looked over them she told Kerri to sit in a chair to get her picture taken.

She made a face, she never looked good in pictures, but sat down and smiled like a proper young lady anyway.

She got a copy and they told her that the plastic one would come in a week or two.

Back at the school she went to tell Xavier that she'd gotten a new license and set up a time to do a practice grocery run.

As she walked towards the stairs on the second level, she looked over the railing and saw Kurt standing below through a wave of nervousness.

She smiled and thought that maybe she could surprise him like he had her. Another thought came in that maybe she could surprise herself too and kiss him without freezing up.

She took off the flip-flops she'd taken to wearing in the warming weather, and walked to the stairs over him, she climbed half on the railing, about two feet or so above his head and waited for him to finish writing whatever he had been writing on the notebook in his hand, ignoring the nerves trying to tell her that she was too close to the edge. He straightened up and turned to walk towards the stairs, looking at the paper, when she jumped.

She pushed with her feet, stretching out her hands to grab onto him when she landed and turned over sideways so she would face the way she had just come from when she flipped. Her hands touched his shoulders and her fingers caught, her feet going over her head in a flip and swinging around with enough force that she thought she'd knock them over and he'd land on top of her, landing against him around his hips. His tail flew out and he crouched to keep his balance, staying on his feet.

"Vas zur Holle?" He looked behind him, seeing Kerri, who let go and landed barefoot on the floor. He turned to her and she threw her arms around him, trying to kiss him in surprise, but her body refused to let her head move, so she stood pressed against him, arms around him, looking into his eyes with a trouble making grin on her face. {what the hell}

"Vhy, hallo, Kerri," Kurt blushed, surprised by her hugging him this close. She'd only done it a couple of times before, and he didn't think the time in the tree counted, it was mostly trying to hold on and not fall, not a hug.

Kerri pressed her cheek against his in the gesture she'd had to grudgingly adopt as a replacement for kissing him. Kurt wrapped his arms around her and pressed his cheek against hers.

Since classes were over, they went for a walk around the grounds outside.

"I should varn you, Kerri, Kitty has been talking almost nonstop about going to zhe club since she saw you playing zhat dancing game." Kurt told her.

Kerri smiled laughingly. "Maybe it wouldn't be so bad... There wouldn't be teachers who gave us looks every time we stood too close together."

"Ja, zhat's true, but zhere vould be lots of people who might try to, ah, fondle, you..." Kurt blushed.

"Yeah, right," Kerri scoffed. "Who'd want to fondle me? Aside from you, I hope..." Kerri turned away with a blush heating her cheeks.

Kurt's hand tightened on hers as past thoughts of that very action flashed through his mind. 'Ja, no vorry of zhat...'

At lunch that Friday, Kurt was proven right when Kitty announced, "We're going to the club tomorrow night!"

"Ok, have fun," Kerri said.

"Well, you're coming too, of course," Kitty told her.

Kurt laughed as Kerri answered, "I think you'll find I'm not. I don't even have anything to wear to the club, unless you're ok with me wearing baggy jeans, a t-shirt, and flip-flops."

"Ok," Kitty gave in sullenly. "We'll go to the mall tomorrow."

* * *

Kerri walked down the stairs to find that Piotr and Kitty were there, but that Kurt wasn't.

Kitty stopped talking to Piotr and turned. "Hi, Kerri," she said cheerfully. Too cheerfully?

"Hi, Kitty," Kerri answered, wondering what she was up to.

After Kurt met them and they had arrived at the mall, Kerri noticed that Kitty seemed extra determined to have her try on clothes at the first store. After that though, she held up things to herself, asking if Kerri liked them or not, and seemed normal, so Kerri let it go.

They passed the arcade and Kurt suggested that they go in, and Kitty agreed, which pretty much meant that Piotr agreed too.

When they went in, Kitty tucked a five into Kurt's hand.

"I can pay for a few games," Kurt told her, confused.

"Yeah, but I've seen how fast quarters can go here, and that dancing game looked like it took a few. I just want you guys to have fun," Kitty said inoffensively.

Kurt gave up arguing and went with Kerri around, loosing a couple rounds at a fighting game, playing a zombie blasting game, which he wasn't very good at due to his large fingers not being able to grip the plastic gun very well.

They walked past the DDR machine and Kurt grabbed her arm to stop her. "Do you vant to play zhat vone?"

Kerri looked at the DDR machine and blushed. "Well..."

"Come on, Kerri, you have to show me how to play es," he said, gently pulling her over to the game.

Kerri put him on the dance pad and showed him what to do on the random pieces of music that showed off in between people playing. "Vhy do I have to do zhis?" He asked, confused.

"I just want you to kind of get a feel for it before I throw you in the fire," Kerri said with a laugh.

After Kurt had gotten the hang of looking at the screen and stepping without looking down, Kerri popped in the quarters and set his to beginner while she put hers to standard, then she chose a song. The music started and they danced, playing through a few songs.

Kerri stepped off of the platform, telling him, "Kurt, you just have to get the hang of stepping without looking down, and you'd be better than me."

"Ja, or I could use my tail to hit zhe ozher vone," he joked back.

"Yeah, then you'd be a cheater, and I'd win by default! I always win! Ah ha ha!" Kerri held her hands up and mock laughed.

Kurt and Kerri got to the front and found Kitty with a stuffed purple dragon. "Look what Piotr won for me," she said, holding it up.

"Cool," Kerri answered.

When they got back to the school, Kurt asked Kerri to walk outside with him.

As they walked, they held hands and talked about the fun they'd had, joking about who would win in a fight between the video game fighters and various members of the X-Men, deciding that Wolverine would probably take them all out with no problem.

They walked for a bit more, then Kerri sighed, breaking the silence that had fallen over them.

"Vhat's wrong?" Kurt asked her.

Kerri's cheeks warmed a little and she looked at the ground, shaking her head. She hadn't meant to make that sound, it had slipped out when she wasn't paying attention, while she had been wishing she could kiss him.

He was so wonderful, so nice, and she couldn't even show her affection by kissing him. "Hey Kurt, will you take your hologram off?" She asked.

"Um, ja, I guess I could," he said, looking around and seeing that there wasn't anyone around. He turned it off and saw a smile spread across Kerri's face.

She noticed him watching her and looked up at him, asking, a little embarrassed, "What?"

"Just," Kurt blushed and looked at the ground, "you alvays look so happy vhen I turn zhis zhing off..."

Kerri smiled. "Did you ever stop and think that maybe it's because I like you better without it?"

He stopped walking and Kerri stopped as well. "Vhy is zhat?" He asked seriously.

Kerri shrugged. "I don't know, Kurt, maybe I'm just into blue guys with tails."

Kurt blushed and wrapped his tail around her waist, pulling her close to him, so they were almost touching.

Kerri looked at him, smiling. He was struck by how much she had changed over the last month or so since she had accidentally changed in front of him. It seemed that that was the last thing that had stood in the way of her opening up to him, and he was glad that it had happened, even if she was still a little shy sometimes and bold other times. And she was a completely different person than when he had first met her, watching everything, but silent, worried about how people would react to her.

Kerri's smile fell and she looked at the ground. Kurt put his hand on her chin and pulled her face back up to look at his. "Vhat's wrong, Kerri? Zhe sadness is starting to creep back into your beautiful eyes."

Kerri blushed and a half smile lifted the corners of her mouth. "It's just..." Kurt continued to look into her eyes, waiting, knowing that she just had to gather the boldness and words to explain. "I hate it." She looked back to the ground.

"Hate vhat?" Kurt began to worry a little, had he done something wrong? Overstepped some boundary unknowingly?

She pressed her cheek against his. "This. I hate this. I wish I could kiss you... I've tried so hard, but the more I try, the more I can't..."

Kurt felt a cold hand move through his insides, was she saying that she actually, physically could not stand to kiss him? Was she bothered by his appearance more than she let on?

His worries swirled inside of him, making him insecure. "Vhy- vhy _is_ it zhat you can't kiss me?" He asked, worrying about the answer.

Kerri pulled back to look at him. "I don't know... I try and try... I just... Get stuck and can't move forward any farther..."

"Is," Kurt took a breath and let it out. He had to know, now, before he fell any deeper into his emotions for her. "Is it because of how I look?"

Kerri pushed back farther in surprise. "What? No!" Kerri denied. "Why would you think that?"

"Vell, it is zhe common factor vhen I'm rejected by girls," he admitted softly.

Kerri looked at him and he could see tears welling in her eyes. She looked at the ground angrily. "I'm not like that."

"I know," he pulled her close against him. "I just had to ask..."

Kerri pushed the tears in her eyes away angrily as she laid against his chest. She wasn't going to cry, it was stupid to cry for things in the past, things that didn't even happen to her, but she couldn't stand the thought of Kurt feeling bad, or worrying about how she felt about the way he looked.

She pulled back and tried to kiss him.

She was still unable to, no matter how hard she tried, and ended up with her forehead against his.

She was miserable, it was miserable, not being able to kiss your boyfriend.

A thought hit her, and she wondered how she hadn't thought of this earlier.

She pulled her face back and put her hand on Kurt's jaw.

He looked at her, confused, and she took a breath, then turned his head and kissed his cheek then buried her nose in his neck with a smile.

Kurt's eyebrows raised, she'd kissed him! It had just been a peck on the cheek, but he had his inducer off, and she was still there, and if his shoulder was telling him correctly, she was smiling.

Kerri looked back up at him, a slight blush still on her face. "What's with the look? That's not the first time you've been kissed by a girl, is it?"

"N- vell, nein... But zhat is zhe first time vizhout my inducer on... And before, vhen zhey found out vhat I really look like, zhey vere, kind of... Vell, zhey dicided zhey didn't like it, and left..." Kurt admitted, worried how she'd take it that he'd kissed other girls before.

Kerri just put her head on his shoulder, wondering when she'd become so comfortable with leaning on him, and said, "Stupid girls. I- I think I had the same thing happen, kind of..." She pulled away and looked into his intense golden eyes. "I've only kissed one guy before, and it... wasn't pleasant... It was gross and wet and sticky, and just, not pleasant. After that, I told him I wasn't going to kiss him any more, and he broke up with me." She blushed as she admitted this, worrying about what he'd think.

Kurt laughed, "Sounds like he vasn't doing it right."

"Yeah, or I wasn't..." Kerri looked down.

Kurt put his hand under her chin and pulled her face back up. "Vell, don't vory about zhat, you can take as long as you need, as long as you let me do zhis." He leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek.

When he pulled away he saw that her face was bright red, and she was humming unsurely, "Nnnnn..."

He smiled mischievously and pulled out his triumph card. "Bitte?" {Please}

Her blush deepened and she looked down, quietly saying, "Ok..."


	25. We're going out, to where?

**[AN: Hello and welcome to another chapter of Fuzzy Images, where you'll find out what Kerri's full first name is, but not her last, she's still keeping that to herself, lol. I hope you enjoy it, and can read it, it was hard to edit with the new tiny kitten trying to climb all over me and run all over the laptop. Anyway, please feel free to vote, comment, message, or just read.]**

* * *

"End of terms... Bleh..." Kitty whined at the library table they all sat at.

Kerri was helping Kurt write his paper, going over it for spelling and grammar errors, mostly just because she was done with her papers, and it gave her an excuse to sit extra close to him.

Piotr was fact finding for Kitty while she wrote things and whined. "We have to start applying to colleges soon, too! How are we supposed to get all of this stuff done at the same time?"

Kerri looked up. "You're applying to colleges already?"

"Yeah, what, are you surprised that I'm going to college?" Kitty asked in mock hurt.

"No, I just didn't think it was that time yet..." Kerri answered. She looked over at Kurt, soon he'd graduate, and then what? He wouldn't be a high school student anymore... Would he leave and go to college too?

This thought depressed her, and she had a feeling it was because she was starting to care more and more for him, and couldn't quite imagine life without him, even though she had lived and gone through it for seventeen years before she'd even met him.

Kurt reached over and gripped her hand with his. She looked up and smiled at him, turning back to his paper.

* * *

Kerri walked up an isle at the grocery store, picking up things from the list.

"Peanut butter, check, jam, check, onions, check, the other million things on the list, check," she said as she went over the three carts in front of her, Ororo, and Rouge, who had recently returned from some kind of secret mission or something.

"How much you think that's gunna be, shuga?" Rouge asked.

"About a trillion and a half dollars... You guys should shop at a bulk foods store," Kerri answered, watching a group of people staring at them as they walked past. She felt the urge to put on some true to fashion eighties punk make up and give them something to stare at. At least then she would feel like, 'of course they're looking at me, I look crazy!' instead of wondering why they were so interested in two women and a high schooler with three heaping carts of food.

They went to the register and the look of impending doom on the cashier's face made Kerri try not to giggle. It took forever and two extra stock boys to get it all bagged up, but finally, the cashier told them, "That'll be three eighty-five ninety-two."

"Wow, shuga, you shaved off at least fifty bucks from me," Rouge told her.

Kerri looked at the southern belle and laughed silently as Ororo said, "That's because you always buy a bunch of things for yourself."

"A girl's gotta have some fun!" She shrugged and winked at Kerri.

"Would you like some help to your car?" One of the stock boys asked detestfully.

"You know it, honey," Rouge winked flirtatiously to him and Kerri's smile fell a little.

She thought about how she couldn't kiss Kurt, and how much worse Rouge's situation was; at least she could hold his hand, or "accidentally on purpose" bush her hand or arm across his softly furred skin, Rouge couldn't even accidentally on accident touch anyone without them needing serious medical treatment.

"It looks as though you've passed the test," Xavier told her when they got back to the school. He gave her a set of keys that went to the van, and two cards, one for the food account, one for gas.

"Congrats, shuga!" Rouge said as she walked out of the office.

"Thanks," she said and went to the library to see if anyone was still there.

* * *

Kurt sat at the table in the library, Kitty and Piotr had left a while ago, saying that she was done, and Kurt was hitting a wall. He couldn't concentrate any more.

He could feel Kerri walking up behind him, she leaned down and pressed her cheek against his as she wrapped her arms around him. "Hallo, Kerri," he greeted her, pulling her forward and around him so she was sitting in the chair next to him.

"What are you studying now?" She asked.

He sighed and admitted, "Nozhing, I've read zhis page six times, und I can't make any sense of es."

"Sounds like it's time for a break, then," she said and stood up, reaching for his hand.

"Aber, but I have to study," he said, unsure.

"Kurt, trust me. If you keep trying to study, you're only going to waste time and get aggravated," she told him, taking his hand. "And I want to go outside anyway."

They walked out, Kurt not sure about the break, but Kerri dragged him outside despite his arguments. She carried his book in her arm as they walked, holding hands.

"Isn't it nice? It's so still and beautiful," she said, looking up at the color streaked sky above the trees.

Kurt turned off his inducer while she wasn't looking and reached his hand over to take her jaw in his hand.

Kerri felt Kurt put his hand on her jaw and looked over at him, seeing that he'd turned off his hologram, she smiled, and he leaned closer. "Nicht so schon, vie Sie," he told her softly and she stood frozen. {not as beautiful as you}

He was going to kiss her. 'Yes, yes, please!' She wished, but she could feel the mini freak out feeling in the pit of her stomach that always stopped her from being able to kiss him.

He leaned closer, almost touching his lips to hers, then moved his head and kissed her cheek. He pulled his head back with a teasing look on his face.

She could feel that her cheeks were on fire, but she turned and walked off. "Come on, Casanova."

Kurt grinned and followed her to a place by the swimming pool where fire flies flew around, flashing brilliantly and fading quickly.

They sat down on some chairs that Kerri faced away from the pool so they could look at the last of the sunset turning to grey over the trees. There was no one outside, since everyone was studying still.

"So, Kurt what do you think?"

"It is very nice and calm," he answered, watching the sky.

"Did you know that you get forty-six genes total from your parents, which means you get how many from each parent?" Kerri asked from her chair.

"Tventy-zhree," Kurt answered, still watching the sky.

"What are the four letters for the compounds that DNA is made of?"

"A, T, D, C," he realized what he was saying and looked over at Kerri, who had his biology book open in her lap and was asking him questions.

She smiled at him. "See? You just needed a break."

* * *

"Finally!" Kitty cried as they left the math class on Friday. "I only have two tests left!"

Kurt laughed and teased, "Ja, und I have only vone!"

"Lucky ass! Oh, by the way, I've been meaning to say, you've been looking really happy lately, and..." Kitty looked around to make sure no one was too close, "I was wondering what that meant?" She wiggled her eyebrows.

Kurt looked at her, confused. "Vhat?"

"Come on, have you swapped spit with Kerri yet? Or, maybe more?" Kitty asked, giving up subtlety.

"No, ve haven't," Kurt blushed, finding it hard to explain Kerri's inability to kiss him to Kitty.

"Well, you have to hurry! You know the school year's ending in a few months, and you're going to graduate, what are you going to do after that?"

Kurt had thought about this, and decided that he didn't want to go to college, he wasn't sure what he was going to do with his life, but he supposed that he should figure it out soon. "I don't know, maybe I'll just stay here and be an X-Man..."

Kitty changed the subject, "you know that the yearly formal is coming up, right?"

"Again?" He asked and felt past emotions of sadness running through him.

"Why do you sound so sad? You have a girlfriend to ask out this year." Kitty pointed out.

Oh, yeah. This year it was going to be different. He had a date, as soon as he asked her, and he wouldn't have to be the third wheel for Piotr and Kitty. He was going to be able to hold Kerri close all night and dance with her... Well he could waltz, he wondered if she knew how to waltz.

They all arrived at the table and Kitty announced, "I think I want to sleep in tomorrow. Let's plan something for later that night."

They were agreeable to that, especially since Kerri still refused to acknowledge that there was a nine am, and claimed that she wasn't really awake whenever Kitty pointed out that she was awake for classes, and Kurt knew he'd be tired after all the studying and tests, and danger room next period. "So vhat are ve going to do zhen?"

"I meant, let's just plan to do something tomorrow night and we'll figure out what we're in the mood for then," Kitty explained.

"Ok," Kerri agreed, figuring at least she'd get a decent night's sleep. She'd been having trouble sleeping lately and had been laying awake in bed, although recently she had taken to sneaking through the halls at night, unable to sit still for very long.

* * *

Kerri wandered down the halls, her bare feet silent of the floor.

She walked down the hall to the front door, wanting to go outside, when she heard a voice from just behind her, against the wall, "Where d'ya think you're going?"

Kerri froze. 'How did I miss Logan standing there?' She turned to look at him. "I just couldn't sleep..."

He made no comment, but pushed off from the wall with his shoulder and walked toward the door.

Kerri wasn't sure what that meant, so she followed him. They walked out onto the lawn and Logan turned to her, suddenly throwing a punch.

Kerri's eyes widened and she dropped to the ground, dodging his fist. She rolled out of the way as his next attack landed right where she had been. She felt her tail press out as she stood up and watched him.

Logan swung his fists through the air again, making her jump back to avoid them, liking that she hadn't started whining that he was attacking her, and had just gone with the moment. "Tired yet?"

Kerri ran at a tree, running up it, then jumping off of it to flip backwards, landing on Logan's back for only long enough to jump off again. "Not really," she told him.

They fought on the lawn for an hour before Logan told her to go to bed, and she obeyed, walking up he stairs to her room and falling asleep in her bed.

* * *

Kerri was aware that Kitty was shaking her shoulder in an attempt to wake her. "Come on, Kerri! It's like, two in the afternoon!"

"Mmmmph," Kerri replied, still refusing to open her eyes.

"Where did you get all those bruises? And all that dirt?" Kitty asked, mystified, as she pulled the blankets back.

"Training..." Kerri mumbled through her pillow.

"Training for what, the getting your ass kicked and rolling in the dirt Olympics?" Kitty asked, pulling her to a sitting position.

"Yes," Kerri said, standing and walking across the room.

"Where are you going?" Kitty asked.

"To shower, you forgot the pig wrestling event in the Olympics," Kerri answered.

Kerri stepped out of the shower and dried herself as she watched the steam rise from her skin. She threw on a robe and went back into her room, using the towel on her hair.

Kitty was reclining on her bed waiting for her, reading a magazine when she opened the door.

Kerri walked to her dresser and took out a pair of panties, pulling them on under the robe, and looked for a bra.

"You should wear that one I got you," Kitty comment from the bed.

Kerri glanced over her shoulder at the other girl. "You got me a bra?"

"Yeah, like forever ago, remember?"

Kerri vaguely remembered a bag that she'd thrown into her closet to look at later, that she'd never really gotten the time to go through, forgetting about it, mostly. She opened her closet, knelt on the floor in front of it, and pulled out the bag, digging through it, finding a bra that was white with blue leopard print across it.

"Do you like it?" Kitty asked from the bed, sounding like she already knew she did.

"It's nice, thank you." Kerri blushed a little and pulled the top of the robe down so she could put on the bra.

"No problem," Kitty told her, reading through her magazine still.

Kerri pulled out a pair of jeans and pulled them on, tying the sash on the side to keep them on. She was pulling a shirt out when there was a knock at the door and Kitty went to open it.

"Kitty! Just a second, I'm topless!" Kurt heard Kerri cry out through the door and blushed.

A moment later the door opened and Kitty's face met him. "Oh, hi Kurt." She opened the door wider, but Kurt stayed outside.

He held up an envelope. "Ah, zhis is for Kerri..."

Kerri took it and he looked around at her room as she opened it.

She looked at the paper and pulled the piece of plastic from it.

"Is that your new license?" Kitty asked. "Let's see it!"

Kerri handed it to her to avoid having it ripped out of her hand.

Kurt and Kitty leaned over to look at the ID and looked up at the same time. "Your name is Kerrigan?"

Kerri nodded to them as she grabbed her comb and started on her hair.

"Like, Nancy Kerrigan, the ice skater?" Kitty asked.

"No, more like Sarah Kerrigan, the assassin from Starcraft." She looked up to see them staring at her in confusion. "It's an old video game, my dad was a giant nerd, too."

* * *

They all sat in the rec room, and Kitty convinced them to play a card game while she waited for it to get later.

When Kerri got back from the kitchen with a fresh drink, she saw that Kurt was looking a little uncomfortable, but he didn't say anything when Kerri asked what was wrong, probably due to the look Kitty gave him.

After they finished the next round, Kitty got up and grabbed Kerri's hand. "Kerri, I've got something for you, come look at it."

Kerri stood up, looking confused, and followed Kitty up to the girl's dorm.

Kurt sighed as he watched Kerri being dragged up the stairs.

"Don't worry, she'll be ok," Piotr told him.

Kerri walked into Kitty's room after her and stood nervously, feeling that she was being ambushed.

"Ok, it's over here," Kitty walked to her closet and pulled out a stack of clothes, laying them on the bed. Kerri walked closer, wondering what was so special about these particular clothes.

"Ok, now, let's find something for you to wear!" Kitty said as she pulled out another stack.

Kerri looked up at her. "For what?"

"Our double date!" Kitty said, bursting with joyful energy.

Kerri felt excited about this date for some reason. 'Maybe it's because I'll finally be able to kiss Kurt,' she dismissed.

They shoveled through the clothes and Kitty got Kerri dressed up in a pair of black with neon green hearts printed, thigh high socks, not nylons, socks, which Kerri thought were so weird they were cool, a black skirt that fell to mid thigh, and a neon green shirt with only one strap. Kitty pulled out a pair of black one inch heels and helped Kerri convert the bra to being one strapped so the other one didn't show, then stepped back to admire her work.

She seemed pleased because she sat Kerri in the chair at her vanity and started on her hair, brushing it out and twisting it up with a clip so that it was shorter and fell around her face sexily.

Kitty quickly got dressed while Kerri played with her hair in the mirror, flicking it back and forth.

Kitty pulled her hair up in the mirror over Kerri's shoulder and put it into a ponytail so it flipped around when she moved.

"Here, let me do some make up on you," Kitty said, picking up one of her weapons.

Kurt stood at the bottom of the stairs, now dressed in a pair of jeans and a nice shirt. He looked up the stairs, then turned to resume his agitated pacing. 'Vhat is Kitty zhinking!' He thought as he paced while he and Piotr waited.

"Kurt, she will be fine. We're X-Men," Piotr told him again.

"Ja, aber, it's so different from anyvhere else we've been before... Vhat if she has a problem? Vhat if her tail slips out or somezhing?" Kurt worried.

"You'll be there, won't you?" Piotr pointed out.

Kurt realized that Piotr was right. He'd be there to protect Kerri in case anything went wrong. And he and Piotr were full-fledged members of the X-Men, even if Kerri wasn't and Kitty had only agreed to be a reserve at first and they'd never changed it.

He sighed and walked back past the stairs again.


	26. At the club

**[AN: ... Not much to say here, so... Here comes another chapter, I hope you enjoy it!]**

* * *

They pulled up at a building that was large and plain looking on the outside, although it had a few neon signs advertising different brands of beer on the wall by the doors. There were about ten people standing in line at the door, waiting for the crowd already inside to pay and move so they could get in as well, farther away from the door Kerri could see an outside patio where there was a couple full on making out against the wall, and she could hear the pounding beat of bass through the open door.

She had the distinct, dirty feeling that this was a club.

They got out of the car and Kitty told her to leave her coat in the car, so they wouldn't have to keep track of it.

As Kerri took off the coat she'd worn so no one else at the school had seen her clothes and gotten suspicious, Kurt actually looked at what she was wearing, he'd been too nervous before to notice.

She had on a pair of black heels that highlighted her calves, a pair of black with green heart sock material somethings that he could just see the ends of when she moved, with a short skirt that was making him have problems concentrating, and a green shirt that had only one strap, even though it showed the beginning of her cleavage, which was also making it hard for him to focus. Her hair was twisted up somehow, but it was so long that it still hung down to just past her shoulders, flaring around when she moved quickly.

Kerri looked up and saw Kurt staring at her. She blushed and looked at the ground, following Kitty to the door of the club.

Kurt took a moment to watch Kerri walk and gulped. He'd better watch out, because it was going to be hard enough to keep his own hands off of her, let alone anyone else who came by them.

They walked into a large room at least half filled with people, some of them were sitting at tables and talking or drinking, there was a pool table in the corner by the bar, and a few people crowded around the bar, but mostly the people were dancing to the loud music that made it necessary to use sign language to communicate well.

Kerri was still wowed by how Kitty had just leaned over and giggled to the man at the front desk, distracting him enough that he hadn't noticed that Kerri was still a few months shy of eighteen.

Kitty physically dragged Kerri out onto the floor to dance, and Piotr and Kurt followed.

Kitty started dancing, bumping Kerri, trying to get her to dance, but Kerri was hit by a wave of self-consciousness, wearing a short skirt, reveling shirt, heels, in a crowd of people... She started biting her lip and looking around nervously.

Kurt saw her pinched face and remembered how nervous he'd felt the first time he'd come to the club. He put his hand on Kerri's cheek and smiled at her when she looked at him. She smiled, but her lip didn't leave her teeth, so he leaned forward and said into her ear, "Kitty says you are supposed to let your "inner freak" out."

Kerri laughed out loud for once, although no one could hear it over the music, and he pulled back, holding out his hand to her, admiring the way the laughter lit up her face in the multi colored lights that were turning and flashing over the crowd. Kerri took his hand and started shifting from side to side in an attempt at dancing.

Kitty came close enough to talk to them. "Come on, Kerri, I saw you dancing on that game, I know you can do better, and Kurt, I've seen you dance at the club before," she gave Kurt a look saying he'd better start getting serious.

Kerri leaned forward so she could be heard. "There's no machine here to tell me the right dance moves."

"Well, just do what ever feels right! You don't need a machine to dance!" Kitty told them over the music and Kerri blushed, seeming to shrink in embarrassment. Kitty turned and walked back to Piotr, four feet or so away from them.

Kerri swayed a little with Kurt for a few minutes, then Kitty came back with two glasses, handing one to Kerri and one to Kurt.

Kerri sipped the bubbling clear liquid, expecting Sprite or 7-up, but pulled away with a strange taste in her mouth, like the soda machine had run out of syrup. "What is this?" She asked.

"Seltzer water, the tap water is warm apparently, but you have to stay hydrated here, it's hot and you're exercising a lot," Kitty told her.

Kurt took a sip of his drink, making a face at the strange tasting water.

"It's easier to down it all at once," Kitty suggested, trying not to smile too obviously.

They followed her advice, quickly drinking the water, and Kerri put her hand on her throat, wincing. "Ugh, I think the bubbles got me."

Kitty took the glasses back to the bar and Kerri started swaying again, holding Kurt's hands.

She was starting to feel the atmosphere, the frantic beats making everyone feel excited and happy, the feeling of fuzziness was there too, not soft and fuzzy, like Kurt, but warm and hazy, like just waking up from a good dream. Kerri started to sway harder, getting a little closer to Kurt.

Kurt saw Kerri step closer to him and his heart beat faster. She seemed to be loosening up, and not so worried about the other people around them.

Kerri closed her eyes, enjoying the atmosphere, and raised her arms above her head, now moving her body in more of a rolling motion than a sway. She bumped into Kurt and almost stumbled backwards, but she felt Kurt's strong, three fingered hands on her waist, catching her. She opened her eyes and laughed at herself.

Kurt felt Kerri's waist under his hands and hesitated, unsure what to do. He'd caught her as she'd almost tumbled back, but now he didn't know what to do with his hands, move them away? Leave them there? Pretend it was on purpose and keep dancing?

Kerri smiled at him, then stepped closer, dancing almost against him.

Kurt's eyes widened. He took his hands from her waist and danced with her, feeling his hormones trying to start raging, but he pushed them down.

He had to keep control. He didn't want to get too into it and pull her forward into a kiss when he'd promised her that he'd wait until she was ready.

She was bumping into him as she danced now, and it was getting harder not to notice how sexy she looked, dancing like it was only the two of them.

"You, ah, look like you could use a drink..." Kurt said, indicating the slight flush on her cheeks.

"Ok," she answered and followed him away from the dancing bodies. She wobbled a little as she followed Kurt to the bar and he asked for two ice waters. She held onto his arm, mentally cursing short heels for being in between the floor and a normal feeling high heel and making her have bad balance.

Kurt handed her her drink and she took a sip. "Mmm, this tastes so much better than the last one."

"Ja, no kidding," Kurt said as he drank his ice filled drink.

Kitty came up and pulled Kurt a little ways away from Kerri. "So, having more fun now that Kerri is loosened up?" She giggled.

Kurt was suspicious about Kerri's sudden relaxation now. "Vhat did you do, Kitty?"

"Nothing! ... Just slipped a shot into her drink... Kurt, don't look at me like that, it's only one shot, it's not even enough to make you tipsy," Kitty told him, defending herself. "It was just to help her relax!"

Kurt shook his head. "Kitty, I can't..."

"What?"

"I can't kiss her vhile she's drunk, it's not right..." Kurt said, feeling let down, there went his hopes of finally being able to kiss Kerri tonight.

"Kurt, I said it was only one shot, that is way not enough to get drunk," Kitty said. "Besides, if she wants to kiss you, she'd still want to kiss you, even if she was completely sober."

"Ja, aber, she has zhis problem- and I can't kiss her if she's drunk." Kurt didn't know how to explain it, and it didn't feel right to talk about it here in the dark beat filled room with all these strangers.

"She's not drunk," Kitty insisted, trying to convince him it would be ok to kiss Kerri if he wanted to, but at that moment they heard the DJ announcing, "We've got our first karaoke of the night, give it up for Kerrigan!"

A song started playing and they turned to see Kerri standing on the stage. "Ok, maybe she's tipsy..." Kitty allowed.

Kerri started singing the song and dancing. "Baby can't you see, I'm calling, a guy like you, should wear a warning, it's dangerous, I'm fallin'..."

"Ok, she's drunk..." Kitty admitted. "Is that the dance from that Just Dance game?"

"Ja, I zhink so..." Kurt answered. He looked around at all the men who were staring at her, watching her move as she danced, trying to look up her skirt...

Kurt felt irritated that they weren't even trying to hide it, although he couldn't say that his heart didn't beat faster as her skirt flipped around the tops of her thigh highs, flashing skin as she danced up there...

Kurt shook his head to rid himself of the distracting thoughts. "Vhat should ve do?"

"What do you mean?" Kitty asked.

"She's up zhere, drunk, vhat should ve do?" Kurt explained.

"Should we do anything? She's not making a fool out of herself, she sounds good, looks ok, no one is harassing her, why do we _need_ to do anything?" Kitty wondered aloud.

Kurt couldn't think of an argument that didn't have to do with the fact that at least fifty of the men here were staring at his girlfriend, maybe having dirty thoughts, so he just went up to the stage to wait for her to come down.

The song finished and a few of the men who had been watching yelled out cat calls and whistles. Kerri stepped down and Kurt's hand was right there for her to hold onto as she came down the steps, panting slightly.

"That song is hard to sing and dance at the same time," she told him, her face full of excitement and joy.

Kurt pulled her away, through the crowd to the patio when she told him she was too hot.

They stepped outside and Kerri laughed, pressing against him. "That was fun!"

"Ja," Kurt said unsurely as Kerri put her head on his shoulder and laid against him.

"Mmmmmm," Kerri sighed in comfort.

She was so comfortable with Kurt; he didn't pressure her, she still worried about changing in front of him, but not as much as before, and he'd seen her tail, so she didn't have to worry that he'd freak out if it came out accidentally.

She wanted to kiss him, right now.

She smiled, finally feeling confident enough to do it. She pulled back, the smile still on her face.

Kurt looked at Kerri's beautiful face, her chin was down and she was looking up at him with a shy smile on her lips.

She started leaning closer and tilted her chin up, he could tell she was going in for a kiss.

Maybe Kitty was right... Maybe it didn't matter...

She had told him she wanted to kiss him, more than once. It was only her crippling nervousness that was stopping her.

But now she wasn't nervous, not at all.

He looked into her eyes, they were a little unfocused, slightly hazed.

He could kiss her...

But then...

Kurt didn't think he could live with himself, and who knew how Kerri would feel tomorrow; she might be happy, or she might feel betrayed.

Better to just live up to his morals as a gentleman, as he had been taught.

"Kerri, I can't," Kurt told her, putting a finger to her lips.

She stopped, confused. "Why not?"

"I- it's-" he stuttered, his finger falling, but she cut him off.

"Did I do something wrong? Is it the make up?" She put a hand to her face and looked down, "or the clothes?"

"Nein, zhat's not es," Kurt tried to explain. "You're drunk-"

"I'm not drunk, I didn't even drink anything," Kerri told him, confused.

"Vell, but Kitty gave you a shot," Kurt told her.

"I thought that drink tasted funny," she said to herself. "But one drink wouldn't make me drunk, I don't think... You just don't want to kiss me, now," she accused, suddenly angry, her old defenses of attacking before she got hurt coming back.

"Vhat?" Kurt asked, stunned. "I do vant to kiss you, but, you-"

"I'm not drunk!" Kerri snapped back angrily, stepping away from him; now came the attack and run part of the strategy.

"But Kerri, you look like you are, und-" Kurt tried to calm her down by explaining.

"I'm not," she interrupted him. "I'm not drunk, they are," she gestured around at the few other people on the patio. "I can feel that they are, but I'm not."

Kurt was unsure for a moment what she meant before he realized that she could actually feel how they felt. "Kerri, I don't vant to take advantage of you," he told her.

"Maybe I want you to," she told him.

Kurt gulped a breath of air, maybe I want you to? She was making it so hard not to kiss her.

Kerri took Kurt's silence as an answer and turned away muttering, "Maybe I'll find someone who will."

She walked away and two men standing by the doorway leaned closer to hit on her as she passed, "Hey, baby, I'll kiss you." "Yeah, get with a real man."

"Get away from me," Kerri said so viciously that they actually stepped back.

"What a bitch..." "Yeah..."

Kurt watched her walk away, feeling a painful squeezing in his heart, hoping he'd made the right decision.

* * *

Kerri woke up feeling sticky; her eyes felt sticky, she felt dried drool down the side of her face, her hair felt tangled.

She half rolled half climbed out of bed and her head swam for a second as she stood up.

She felt like she'd had a really bad headache last night.

She jumped in shock as she caught sight of herself in the mirror, her eyes were running all down her cheeks and her hair was a rats nest.

She tamed down her appearance as best she could. She was brushing her hair, looking in the mirror, and her hands above her head reminded her of how she'd been dancing with Kurt the night before, and she blushed even though she was also smiling.

Another vague memory flashed in her mind's eye.

She was going to kiss Kurt, she was almost there, and he stopped her.

She remembered yelling at him, saying she'd go find someone to take advantage of her.

She looked down, feeling horribly ashamed of herself.

She needed to apologize to Kurt.

Poor Kurt, he was only being his wonderful, kind, gentlemanly self.

Kurt was hanging upside down on the bars on his bed. He'd always felt very comfortable this way, and he needed comfort right now, as he worried about Kerri and how she was going to feel about him refusing to kiss her last night.

He was startled back into the present by a knock at the door. He dropped to the floor and opened it, surprised to see Kerri there. He looked at the ground, nervous about the reason for her visit. "Hallo..."

Kerri chewed her lip. "Hi..." They stood awkwardly for a moment, neither sure what to say.

Kurt was suddenly worried that Kerri had come to break up with him.

"I- I'm sorry..." Kerri finally said.

Kurt looked up at her, and his breath was trapped in his chest as he waited for the rest of her sentence.

"I- don't really remember everything that happened, but I do remember yelling at you for not kissing me... I'm sorry..." Kerri told the carpet at his feet.

Kurt let out a sigh of relief. "I zhought you vere going to be vutend still..." {angery}

Kerri looked up at him. "What? Why? I was the stupid one... I thought for sure you'd hate me for being such a bitch..."

Kurt's face shot to hers, not used to hearing her swear, and surprised that she thought he'd hate her.

"Maybe, I guess it's possible, that maybe I was a little drunk..." Kerri mumbled.

"How? Ve all said zhat it vas only vone shot," Kurt asked.

"Well, but," Kerri tried to think of a way to explain when another student walked by, giving an embarrassing, "Whoot whoot!" Kerri blushed and looked back at the ground.

Kurt waited until the boy had passed and asked Kerri, "Do you vant to come in and talk?"

Kerri nodded and went through the open door.

She looked up and realized that this was the first time she'd been in his room. She looked around and saw that he had a lot of movies, a lot of them were old, black and white, and the majority of them were pirate adventures, he had a few shelves of books, too, also mostly old and worn. She could tell from the titles that she could read that they were mostly swashbuckling romance types, not the romance novel kind, but the ones where the good guy pirate always got the girl, with maybe a little bodice ripping thrown in.

A smile lifted the corner of her mouth, and she looked at the rest of his room. There was a large bed with bars around the top, like it was supposed to be a canopy, but they were bare, and on the wall were framed posters from some kind of show, in German.

She moved closer to look at them and saw pictures of him. Flying through the air, doing incredible acts of flexibility. 'Show advertisements,' she realized.

Kurt stood awkwardly, watching her look around. He felt naked with her in his sanctuary, like he'd taken off his skin and she was inspecting his soul. "So, ah, vhat vere you saying?"

Kerri turned around and looked back to him, seeing a cross on the wall next to the bookcase and a rosary and bible on his desk with a few other things, and took a second to remember. "Oh, um, that I might have," she paused trying to get the words right.

"Remember when I was feeling things too much, after I accidentally changed in front of you?" Kurt nodded and she continued, "I guess that that's because I can do that all the time... I had it shut down pretty good..." She blushed and admitted. "But then you came along... And I guess I'm more open now... At least that's what the Professor said he noticed before... And, I guess, that one shot, made me lose the little inhibitions I was using to not be so permeable... And, well, what with it being a bar, and everyone being drunk..." She shrugged, then smiled humorously. "I guess I got empathy drunk."

"Vhat a strange concept," Kurt commented, his mind running over the part when she said he'd made her more open.

"Yeah, I guess I'll have to go back to being more guarded," she said, looking down at the floor.

"Kerri," Kurt was at her side suddenly from half way across the room. "I- ah..." He had been about to tell her not to go back to being so closed off; he enjoyed being with her, and she looked so happy now, he was afraid that she'd shut down again, and that the sadness would come back to her eyes, but he trailed off when he realized that even though she'd apologized about yelling at him, she hadn't said either way if she still wanted to "find someone else to take advantage of her," as she'd said last night.

She just looked up at him, waiting for him to continue, and he was careful not stand close enough to touch her. "I, zhat is, do you..." Kurt took a breath, "do you still vant to-"

Kerri caught on to what she thought he was going to say and her face turned down slightly. "Kiss you?"

"Nein... Find somevone-" Kurt felt like a knife of pain was stabbing into him, and he was glad when she cut him off, making it so he didn't have to finish the question.

Kerri realized what he was asking and her eyes widened as she leaned back a little. "No!" She denied, then quickly pressed against him, wrapping her arms around him as she looked into his eyes. "No, I still want to kiss you..." Her chin pointed down and she bit her bottom lip, even though a smile was in the corner of her mouth as she looked into his eyes.

"Ja?" Kurt asked, wrapping his arms around her.

"Ja," Kerri said and tried to move her chin up.

It moved a fraction of a hair, and Kerri was feeling encouraged about this. She was about to put her face up to try and kiss him, when a knock sounded on the door.

Her eyes whipped to the door, a look of frustrated agitation on her face. 'Really?! Almost there, and someone knocks?!'

Kurt looked to the door, asking, "Ja? Vie geht's?" {what's up (kind of, how are you doing/ what do you want)}

"Kurt, we need you for a mission, there's a building full of people that's about to go down, we think it's the work of the Anti- mutant Rally," Scott's voice came through the wood.

Kurt sighed. "Ja, ok, ein minuten, bitte." He turned back to Kerri, who was still staring at the door. "Sorry, liebling, I have to go save zhe vorld." {one minute please, darling (also means favorite)}

Kerri blushed as she looked back to him. "I'm your favorite?"

Kurt felt his cheeks warm as he realized what he'd said. "Ja..."

"Better let you go save the world then..." Kerri said as she kissed him on the cheek.


	27. It's not fat, it's muscle!

**[AN: Hi all! There's an announcement in here that I hope you're all excited for, lol. Anyway, here it is, I hope you enjoy it!]**

* * *

Kerri sat in the otherwise empty rec room, half listening to whatever show was now on the tv. She'd given up trying to pay attention long ago, too worried about Kurt to focus on anything well.

She knew that he was an X-Man, that he was a superhero, that he even had his image inducer, if it fell to that to protect him from the public, but a collapsing building and anti- mutant people?

It just made her nervous for his safety, even though she knew he could just teleport away. She also knew that he would never leave a team-mate behind though, and no one else on the X-Men could teleport.

She sighed and laid her head against the arm of the couch, trying once again to focus on whatever this show was.

She heard a sound like an eighteen wheeler going past, and hoped that it was the Blackbird, but stayed still after her fourteen other false alarms before.

Someone blocked the evening light in the doorway and she looked up.

"Kurt! You're back!" She felt relieved, and remembered to hold back, pulling her emotions back and away from Kurt, who she thought they might be trying to leak to.

He walked into the room, changed back to his normal clothes, but still blue, and sat down on the end of the couch next to her. "Ja, did you zhink a measly building could defeat me?" He joked, but he looked worn out.

She smiled teasingly. "Well, I don't know, how big was the building?"

"Oh, it vas zhe most humongous building." Kurt pulled his arms apart as far as they would go and let them fall onto the couch.

"Hmm." Kerri couldn't think of anything to say, she was just glad he was there again. She felt her tail being pressed into the couch and resituated herself, with her tail between them.

Kurt flushed invisibly, and put his own tail on Kerri's. It was soft, and felt good against his furred skin. He watched her cheeks turn red, and her tail tip flick.

Kerri looked at their tails for a moment, then said, "Kurt, about before-"

"Ah, I- sorry, if-" Kurt stuttered, worrying that she was put off by his earlier endearment, but she held up a hand to stop him.

"I was thinking... Maybe we could pick up where we left off..." Her cheeks were on fire as she gathered her courage and knelt on the couch. She moved their tails our of the way as she knee stepped closer, and had to put one knee in between his, putting her hand on the couch arm he was partially leaning against in order to be able to lean closer to him.

"Ja?" Kurt asked, not daring to move, and getting a strong hormone response from this position, even though he was still tired from using his powers so much at the building.

"Hopefully..." Kerri answered, then tried to kiss him.

She tried to put her face closer to his, but it didn't want to go. She pressed harder, but her head wouldn't respond to her commands. She tried to lean closer, but her body pushed back against her. She pushed harder, she wanted to kiss him, damn it, and she wasn't going to let her stupid body stop her.

She felt all of her muscles tensing up as she pushed harder and harder against them, just a little kiss, that was all she wanted, just to know that he tasted as good as he smelled...

Just one kiss, she could take the chance that it would be bad, she liked him enough that it would still be ok, right? But, what if he decided it was so bad that he didn't want to go out with her anymore?

That thought hit her, and she stopped pressing forward against her tensed muscles. But they were so determined to keep her from kissing him that when she stopped pushing, they flung her backwards off of the couch.

"Ow..." Kerri said from her sitting position on the floor.

Kurt fell to his knees in front of her. "Are you ok? Vhat happened?"

"I- I guess I still can't..." Kurt could hear the sadness in her voice.

"Don't vorry, you don't have to rush it." He pulled her close and pressed his jaw against her cheek. "I'll vait."

* * *

There was an announcement in fourth period that made Kerri's eyes widen as Ororo stepped in front of the class and explained; "The yearly formal is coming up in about a month, to those of you who are new, this is a formal dance, not unlike the prom at a public school. It is open to the sophomores and seniors only, there will be refreshments, drinks, and a dance floor. There will also be a DJ and music. This dance is formal entry only, so, yes, you do have to get dressed up. There are quite a few gowns and suits in the clothing storage room, I invite you to go through and find something beautiful if you can not get something elsewhere."

Kerri was surprised. 'A prom? Guess it will be nice for everyone to do something normal for once,' she guessed, 'and not have to worry about their mutant powers or the outside world, or the great strain of being different.'

She almost dismissed it before she realized that that meant she'd get to slow dance with Kurt. A smile tried to creep onto her face, but she brushed it away, thinking that it would look weird if she suddenly got a creepy smile in the middle of history.

Kitty turned to give Kurt a pointed stare after they announced the yearly formal.

He could almost hear her saying, "You're going to ask Kerri soon, right?!"

He shook his head and laughed quietly, turning back to his work. He felt a little nervous, he was going to ask Kerri to the dance, he was sure she'd say yes, but now he'd have to dig out his suit, and take it to the cleaners, and explain, again, that the hole was there for a reason, please don't sew it up, while they gave him funny looks.

Then there was the actual dance. He hadn't really had a good time at the last one he'd been to, but this time it would be different, he already had a date, so he didn't have to go around to the girls and ask them, getting shot down every time, and he wouldn't have to stand against the wall and pretend that he didn't care that he wasn't dancing with anyone.

The bell rang and the class rushed to the door to get to lunch.

At the lunch table, Kitty started talking about dresses, she could get a nice pink one, and Piotr could get a pink cummerbund, but Piotr put an end to that idea.

"I was only kidding, Piotr." Kitty turned to Kerri. "What color dress are you thinking about getting?"

Kerri shrugged. "I don't know... One that looks good, I guess."

"But, what color?" Kitty asked again. "We have to get Kurt a matching cummerbund."

"I like Green, but it doesn't go well with my hair color, I think, you know the whole red/green thing... Purple is nice too, but I don't know..."

"What color did you wear to the last formal dance you went to?" Kitty asked, trying to get an idea, but Kerri put her head on her hand and looked intently at her lunch, letting her bangs fall into her eyes.

"I, um... I haven't been to a real dance before." She poked her food with her fork.

Kitty was silent in surprise, and Kurt looked at her curiously. "Vhy?"

She looked up at him. "What do you mean, why? Who would ask me..." She looked down at her food and poked it again.

"Me," Kurt pointed out, thinking it would be obvious.

"You don't count, you're not like anyone else." She ducked lower as her cheeks heated.

Kitty looked around at the students in the dining area. "I bet a bunch of these guys would ask you."

Kerri didn't answer, just poked her food.

"I guess I know what we're doing this Saturday, then," Kitty said, breaking the silence.

* * *

Kurt looked for Kerri after school, he had to ask her to the dance, before Kitty hit him again for not asking at lunch.

He walked toward the library, and pushed his hair our of his face. He thought again about getting a trim, he hadn't had one since he'd left home, and his mother had done it for him. It was getting really long, touching his shoulders now.

He reached the table where Kerri was sitting and sat down next to her, still playing with his hair.

Kerri looked up and saw him. "Are you trying to finger curl your hair, or something?"

"Nein," Kurt flushed. "I vas just zhinking about getting es cut..."

"Oh," Kerri said.

"Vhat do you zhink?" Kurt asked.

Kerri shrugged. "It's your hair, do what you want. Just... don't cut it_ too_ short?" She added, her cheeks turning a little pink.

"Ok," he told her, smiling. "Oh, ja, I forgot to ask you to earlier..."

Kerri looked back up at him and waited for the question.

"Vill- vill you go to zhe dance vizh me?" He asked, unsure why he was so nervous to ask his already girlfriend to a dance.

Kerri tilted her head and brushed her tail along his leg. "Of course. Oh, um... Do you know how to dance?"

"Vell, I know a few dances, but zhey are mostly old dances..." Kurt admitted.

"Like the waltz?"

"Ja, you know how to valtz too?" He asked, surprised.

"A little bit, I used to dance on my dad's shoes, but that was a long time ago." She turned to her book, red growing across her cheeks as she added, "But, we could practice..."

"Ja," Kurt said with a smile, waltzing with Kerri held close sounded great.

* * *

"This is ridiculous, how are we supposed to stop a meteor?" A student named John asked as the group of five looked up at the sky.

There was John, Jubilation, Tessa, Kurt and Kerri, and they stood looking up at the large meteor that was coming towards them in the danger room.

"They always do this," Tessa complained.

"Why don't you just explode it to death, Jubilee?" Kerri asked.

"Yeah, if I could do something that big," Jubilee said, folding her arms.

"If I could get close enough to hit it, it might do something," John complained.

"Ve have to try to vork togezher," Kurt told them.

"I could try to get someone to it..." Kerri said. "But, who should I take?"

"Not me, I wouldn't be strong enough, but-" Tessa said.

"How are you going to get someone up there?" John asked suspiciously, cutting her off.

"Let me worry about that," Kerri told him, giving him the, 'none of your business' line.

"Kerri, if you can get John up to es, and he can veaken it, maybe I could get Jubilee close enough to blow it apart," Kurt planned.

Kerri thought about it, and Tessa said, "Well, if you would all listen to me, I could have come up with something good."

They agreed on Kurt's plan, and Tessa figured out the exact spot that would be the best before they got set.

"I'm still wondering how you're going to get me up there," John complained.

"With these." Kerri bowed her head and pushed up on her shoulder blades, her wings growing out as she shifted into her battle form.

"Oh."

She wrapped her arms and tail around John and leaped into the air, flapping hard to carry them closer to the meteor.

"Where are you going?" He asked as she flew, drifting to the side, away from where the weak point was.

"Gotta, catch, a thermal, to carry, your fat ass..." Kerri gasped in the hot air.

"That's not fat, it's muscle," John told her indignantly.

"Whatever," Kerri's wings stretched out as the hot air caught under them and pushed her up.

She spiraled around and around, gaining altitude, but her grip on John was slipping, so she tilted her wings and aimed to get over the right area. "You might have a hard landing," Kerri tried to pull him closer. "I'm losing my hold."

"Just you get me close enough to the spot I need to hit, I'll do the rest," he told her.

Kerri managed to get him over the area. "I think that's, oops," she said as he slipped out of her sweaty arms and swung by her tail, which still managed to hold him, barely, even though he pulled her down a ways, and managed to keep herself from trying to catch a hold on her tail with the fin to hold him.

She didn't particularly feel like cutting off her own tail at the moment. "Ok, here we go for real," Kerri said, letting him drop and flapping insanely to gain back her altitude over the giant rock.

The bulky older teen fell the last few feet onto the surface of the meteor and found then started hitting the weak spot.

"Kurt, don't bring Jubilee too close, it's really hot up here," Kerri called down on the communicator, wondering how John could stand it.

"Wait, how am I going to fire at it while we're fallin-" Jubilee's question was cut off as Kurt teleported her and himself to just above Kerri and to the right in the air. And then started falling.

Kerri dove and grabbed Jubilee with her arms and Kurt with her tail and feet, pulling them apart for easier handling and flapped higher, getting closer to the spot they needed to be.

Jubilee looked up at Kerri's strained face. "Oh, no, I'm not too heavy am I? I don't want to fall!"

"Don't worry," Kerri told her, "compared to John, you're as light as a feather."

Kurt looked up at Kerri from below on her tail, and noticed that she was having trouble staying high up. "Kerri, let me go, I'll teleport down," he told her.

"Wait, you have to get John out of there first..." Kerri told him, the strain audible in her voice.

Kerri held Jubilee and Kurt as they waited for John to make a big enough hole and move.

He finally jumped off and Kerri let her tail loosen from around Kurt and let him go, giving a sigh of relief at the lessened weight.

Jubilee shot her firework like explosions at the meteor, and it cracked, splitting in a million different sections, then after a last explosion, there was a loud cracking sound and the meteor broke, bursting outwards.

"Oh, crap," Kerri said, and turned into a dive at the ground, her tail's blade flicking back and forth behind her, destroying the bigger pieces that were coming at them. "Take cover!" She called out.

They landed on the ground in a heap, as softly as Kerri could manage. "Everyone, over here!" She called.

The other three ran over to them and Kerri spread out her wings over them as a shield, chanting, "Metal, metal, metal, metal..."

Her wings turned metallic and the pieces of rock bounced off of them.

She stumbled and Kurt caught her, holding her up. John wrapped his arms around them to help her stay standing, and Tessa and Jubilee huddled close to help, too.

Kurt heard her continue chanting the whole time, keeping her wings in a metal state to protect them.

As the final rocks fell, she let the thought go and her wings fell limply behind her, the metal gone. Tessa and Jubilee stepped back and John let go of her, but Kurt caught her again as she almost collapsed forward.

"Are you ok?" They asked her.

"Just tired..." She mumbled. "Please tell me it's over..."

"Ja," Kurt said as the image faded and the steel of the danger room appeared.

They left, Kerri leaning on Kurt, and she said to him, "I don't think I'm up for dance practice tonight."

"I can tell," Kurt teased.

* * *

Kerri woke up in the dark. She looked over at her clock and saw the glowing blue numbers telling her that it was three thirty.

She sighed and rolled over. She wasn't tired anymore, even after the stress from using her powers so large for so long.

She rolled over to her other side and saw the night outside, tempting her to come outside and play.

She couldn't stand laying in bed restlessly any more, and she got up to go wandering.

Kerri was creeping down the hall, heading toward the rec room. She'd been playing the Wii and X-Box Kinect to get rid of some of her nightly energy for a while, a plan she'd come up with with Professor Xavier. She put in a game and started dancing around, already used to the dance moves.

After a while she couldn't even stand that any more, and turned it off, heading outside.

She didn't see Logan, which was a surprise, since he hardly ever let her get out without letting her know he saw her.

She wandered along the side of the school, closing her eyes to enjoy the light breeze and the smells and sounds of outside. She sat down and watched the treetops waving in the breeze.

The light shone straight onto Kerri's closed eyes, and she rolled away from it, running into something solid.

She opened her eyes and saw the wall of the school. She shot up and looked around, seeing that she was outside, laying in the grass next to the wall. 'Must've fallen asleep looking at the stars,' she thought.

She ran up to her room and got changed for class, which she was probably going to be late for.

* * *

Kurt sat in class, but he was having trouble concentrating, and started playing with his bangs, thinking about getting a hair cut. He'd probably get the same kind he had at the circus, but Kerri had asked him not to get it too short. 'I could get es a little longer on top...' Kurt thought.

The bell finally rang and Kitty nudged him as they walked out of class to lunch, teasing, "So, what were you day dreaming about all period?"

"Just zhinking of getting a hair cut," he told her, smiling as he spoiled her thoughts.

Kurt wrapped his tail around Kerri's leg as they ate, and she looked under the table, then went back to eating with a smile and a pink tinge on her cheeks.

"So, what kind of dress are you thinking about getting?" Kitty asked. "You have to be prepared for when we go shopping tomorrow, so you don't waste any time on dresses that you don't want to wear anyway."

Kerri shrugged. "I don't know, a long one? I-" She stopped and bit her lip in embarrassment.

"You what?" Kitty prompted.

"I- I uh, like old-fashioned style ball gowns... Like from the Romantic and Victorian eras..." Kerri admitted, embarrassed.

"The Romantic era?" Kitty asked, confused.

"Yeah, in between the Regency era and the Victorian era..." Kerri explained through the heat in her face.

Kurt's eyes widened in surprise, she liked old-fashioned clothes, too?

Kitty looked at Kerri. "Do you watch old movies too? Like really old black and white ones?"

"Yes..." She answered, not sure where the questions were going.

"And you like to dress like the lady in_ Gone with the Wind_? And run around in public?" Kitty asked her.

"Saying, "as God is my witness, I'll never be hungry again" and asking people which way Tara is." Kerri nodded, smiling at her joke. "She wears civil war era stuff, though."

Kitty ignored the correction and looked at Kerri, then at Kurt, then back at Kerri with a strange look on her face. "You two really _are_ meant for each other..."

Kerri blushed and looked at her food, letting her bangs fall into her eyes, obstructing her face from view.

"I guess we can see what we can do... Might have to look at old bridesmaid dresses..." Kitty thought out loud.


	28. Finding Goldilocks

**[AN: And now we go dress shopping... What can I say, Kitty's good at finding pretty things... And now, here's a new chapter, I hope you enjoy it!]**

* * *

Kerri set up the cd player in the back of the library while she waited for Kurt to arrive. They'd gotten permission before, but this was their first practice session.

Kurt found Kerri in the back, putting in a cd she'd borrowed from Dr. McCoy, and adjusting the volume so they didn't disturb the whole library.

A hand tapped her on the shoulder. "May I have zhis dance?"

Kerri turned and her cheeks gained a little pink as she curtsied to the owner of the hand. "Why, yes sir, you may."

Kurt took her hand and put his other hand on her hip and turned to the pace of the music.

Kerri's free hand went to Kurt's shoulder, and she looked down, trying not to trip on her own feet.

Kurt smiled, slowing down so Kerri could keep up. "You're not doing so bad," he told her.

She looked up with a smile, and one also grew across Kurt's face devilishly as he asked, "Do you know vhat happens vhen you look up?"

She bit her lip, trying to remember. "Oh, um," she blushed nervously and looked back down.

"Nein, you have to pay zhe price," Kurt insisted and tilted her chin up, standing in one place.

Kerri's chin went up magically, even though she knew to "price" was a kiss. 'Don't say no, just don't say no,' she thought, praying that their lips would finally touch. She wanted to kiss him, very badly, she hoped he could tell so that he wouldn't stop.

Kurt's smile grew more wicked as he quoted, "No, I don't zhink I vill kiss you, alzhough you need kissing, badly. Zhat's vhat's vrong vizh you. You should be kissed and often, and by somevone who knows how."

Kerri's eyes widened, she knew that line, it sounded so fimaliar, but the main thing that stuck was that he wasn't going to kiss her.

Kurt watched her eyebrows turn down in indignation before he said, "Vell, ok, but just a small vone," and kissed her on the cheek.

Kerri finally placed the line as he pulled back, and gave him a look. "Hey, don't think you can Rhett Butler me and get away with it." She stomped her foot on the ground, putting her hands on her hips and cocking her head in the character of Scarlet O'Hara.

Kurt's smile grew teasing. "But, Kerri, a gentleman vould never kiss a lady vhen she has said no."

Kerri's lip quirked, she had him now. "Oh! You sir are no gentleman."

Kurt's eyebrow twitched before he realized that she was also quoting _Gone with the Wind_. "Und you Miss, are no lady." She put her hand to her mouth in mock horror, and Kurt said the next line, looking as suave as he could, "Don't zhink I hold zhat against you. Ladies have never held any appeal for me."

Kerri tried not to laugh. "I guess I'll just have to flip my skirt at the dance, then, huh?"

Kurt blushed at this naughtiness and held out his hand. "Do you vant to practice a little more?"

* * *

Kerri sat outside, looking up at the stars and thinking about her problem with kissing Kurt.

She knew that everyone had gone to bed a while ago, except for Logan, of course, who had trouble sleeping some nights, like she did, and the night hall monitor.

She wrapped her arms tighter around herself. 'Why is it so hard? He wants to kiss me, I want to kiss him... It shouldn't be so hard to get the two together...'

A form dropped to the ground, sitting next to her. "What's on your mind, shug?"

Kerri looked up at Rouge, then back at her knees. "N- nothing," she denied.

"Come on, shuga, I could feel the wave of sad through the wall. Now, why don't you tell me what's goin' on?"

"S-sorry..." Kerri stuttered, embarrassed that she was still having trouble trying to find a medium area between feeling everything and feeling nothing.

"Nothin' to worry about," Rouge said, putting a gloved hand on her knee. "An', you know, I got a good ear on me too."

"I-it'll sound stupid to you..." Kerri said, thinking that she didn't want the older woman to laugh at her puny imitation of her own problem.

"Honey, everyone thinks their own problems sound stupid, an' that no one would understand, especially when they're teenagers." Rouge laughed, sounding halfway between a giggle and a chuckle with her raspy voice.

Kerri looked over at her, her laugh was almost contagious, and she was really nice...

Maybe she wouldn't laugh at her...

"Well," Kerri took a breath. "I have a boyfriend... And we've been going out for a while, like a couple months... And..." The next part was the hardest part to get out.

"An' what, shuga? Is he tryin' to do somethin' you don't wanna do?" Rouge's face reflected her concern.

"N-no, I want to," Kerri's face flushed as she realized what the other woman had meant. "I mean, I mean, it's just a kiss..." She covered her face with her hands. 'Oh God, I sound so stupid.'

"Now wait honey, you're sayin' that you want to kiss a boy?" Kerri nodded. "Does he wanna kiss you too?" Kerri nodded again. "An' it's just kissin', right? Not anythin' else?" Kerri nodded again. "Whew, we should be so lucky that all the kids here had that problem, ya'll are at the age where the hormones're kicking in, it's almost a full time job keepin' ya'll apart."

Kerri looked up at her. "But, I can't kiss him at all..."

Rouge looked over at her. "What d'ya mean?"

Kerri blushed and hid her face back into her arms as she said, "When I try to kiss him... My body... It won't let me, to the point that it actually threw me off of the couch before."

"Woah now, that is a problem. An' it's only with this one boy?"

"Well, he's the only one I've ever tried to kiss," Kerri told her "But there was a boy who kissed me before, even though it seems like forever ago."

"Hmmm... Well that's a conundrum. Do you get real anxious when you try to kiss this boy?" Rouge asked, and Kerri nodded. "Sounds like it's just nerves, to me." She looked around and said, "Now, don't let Big Daddy Cyke hear that I told you this, but I'll tell you a secret."

Kerri looked up and listened intently to what she was going to say.

"When I was a teenager, like you, I was real nervous about kissing this boy, too. I really liked him, an' I wanted to do the next thing, naturally, which was kissin'. I hung around with him all the time, an' finally one day, we got up the courage to kiss each other. So there was lil ol' teenage me, an' the boy I liked, an' it felt like an eternity before our lips actually touched. But then, it was a wonderful feeling, like drinkin' hot cocoa on a cold day, or somethin'. Then, poor kid, my powers came on, an' started suckin' the life outta him."

Kerri's eyes widened, wondering what kind of story this was supposed to be.

Rouge continued, laughing, "Don't worry, I'm gettin' to the point. So, after that happened, I was real scared about kissin' anyone again, right? An' I thought the kid'd hate me, after all, I'd almost killed him. But, a while later, never you mind how long exactly, I saw him again when I went to visit my home town. An' guess what he told me."

Kerri shrugged, having no idea.

"He said that he missed me, an' that he knew it wasn't my fault. An' that he still liked me," Rouge told her. "So it wasn't so bad after all, huh?" Kerri thought about this and heard her mumble to herself, "Now if only that damn Cajun would quit tryin' to get his hands on me."

"So what I'm really tryin' to tell ya' is that it'll come. Just be patient. An' if you think it's gone wrong, maybe it's not as bad as you thought."

Kerri looked up at Rouge, taking in her wisdom. "Thanks."

"No problem, shuga! Us girls gotta stick together!"

* * *

Kerri pulled on her shirt and started brushing out her hair when there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," she called out.

Kurt swallowed, then opened the door and looked in. "Are you sure? I vould hate to impugn your honor."

Kerri looked over at him, saying, "Don't worry, I don't have a reputation to uphold. Besides, wouldn't it be more like me ruining your honor?"

Kurt's eyebrow rose up his hologram's forehead. "How do you mean?"

Kerri shrugged, not voicing her thought about a formerly ragamuffin street rat junior and a good looking senior not being on the same level socially, and looked back to the mirror, starting to brush her hair again.

Kurt walked in, but left the door open a crack, just in case, and stood behind her. He grinned and ruffled her hair, messing it up.

"Ah! Come on, this is hard to tame you know!" Kerri pulled her hair apart and started brushing it again, throwing him mock angry looks in the mirror.

"Vell, you know, zhey say I am a demon," Kurt told her, making eye contact in the mirror.

"Pfft, I don't believe that crap," Kerri told him, pulling her hair all to one side and pulling the brush through it.

"Nein? Zhen, I vill have to prove es to you..." Kurt's grin turned devilish, and he wrapped his arms around her, putting his mouth to her neck and brushing his lips across her skin.

Kerri dropped the brush in her hand.

She was staring at his reflection, but caught sight of her own, wide-eyed, open-mouthed, and her hands were hovering in the air, holding nothing. She looked away from him and flipped her hair over her shoulder to cover her face in the mirror.

Her heart was racing, she was trying to control her breath, and she slammed down the barrier over her emotions, using the thought of being inside of a super tight vest to contain them.

Kurt felt a wave of silky hair fall over his head, and a tail started bumping into his leg. He pulled away from her, fighting his way free from her hair. "Do you believe zhem yet?" He asked with a grin.

Kerri ducked her head, causing her hair to curtain her face from view. She put her hands over her cheeks until she felt her blush leave, then pulled her hair back into a pony tail. "I believe you are here to impugn my honor."

Kurt laughed and gestured, "Zhen, vhy vould I leave zhe door open?"

"Because you're obviously an exhibitionist," Kerri said, opening the door the rest of the way and gesturing for Kurt to exit first.

Kurt checked to make sure no one was in the hall, then passed her, catching her arm and pulling her after him. He turned around, catching her up into his arms and dipping her almost to the ground in one motion. "As you vish, my lady," he told her and kissed her on the neck.

Kerri's brain was fried. A wire had crossed another wire and she had no control over her body. Her mind was blank. She didn't breath. She couldn't feel anything. It was like existing as only a shell for a moment.

Then a breath filled her chest and her brain started rebooting.

She looked up to see Kurt's face above her, an eyebrow raised and a quizzical grin on his lips. The only sentence she could string together was, "Please don't drop me."

Kurt's smile widened. "Never, leibling." He pulled her back up to standing and grinned as they walked down the stairs to meet Kitty and Piotr.

"You really are getting cheeky, you know," Kerri told him in a mock reprimand.

"I believe vhat zhey say is, sticks und stones, leibling," Kurt told her.

"That is what they say, but I didn't know it was your favorite," Kerri teased.

Kurt's cheeks heated.

She still didn't know he was calling her darling; she thought he was using the more platonic of it, favorite, or possibly didn't know it meant darling, too, which was probably the reason he'd continued to call her that after his first slip.

* * *

Piotr pulled the car in front of a small brick building with a sign that proclaimed, 'Sandra's bridal and fancy dress'.

They piled out and walked in, Piotr and Kurt sitting in the comfortable chairs in the front, and Kitty and Kerri walking to the back.

"Can I help you?" A middle-aged woman with glasses half down her nose, a measuring tape around her neck, pins in the corner of her mouth, and a regular pen and fabric pencil stuck in her hair asked as she leaned back out of a sea of wedding dress she was kneeling by.

Kitty walked to her, telling her with a smile, "We're looking for some dresses."

The woman looked them up and down. "Prom or bridesmaids?"

"Well, here's the tricky part. I would like one for prom, but my friend, she likes the old style dresses, so we might have to get a bridesmaids one," Kitty told her.

The woman raised her eyebrows at Kerri and stood up. She was only as tall as Kitty's eyebrows when she stood, but you could tell that this woman had an air of control about her, a sort of free-flowing take charge that made people listen to what she said. "I'll show you where the prom dresses are, then I'll get started on you," she said, turning to Kerri.

Kitty began sifting through the prom dresses, and the woman, Dara, took Kerri back to a fitting room. "What style of dress is it you like?"

"Um, old, hoop skirts and puffy ball gowns, mostly..." Kerri's cheeks turned red as she admitted this to a stranger.

"Do you prefer them full neck, or hanging, or deep necked?" She asked.

"I-I'm not sure..." Kerri told her, having never worn any of them before.

"Ok, well, let's see what we're working with. Take off your shirt," Dara said.

Kerri took off her shirt and nervously put her arms in front of herself, trying to hide out of habit.

"Now, none of that," Dara told her, "let me look at you."

Kerri let her arms be pulled so she was standing with her arms raised shoulder height, and Dara walked around her, inspecting her form. "I think I have an idea. I'll be right back."

Kerri waited awkwardly in the empty dressing room with her shirt off.

Dara got back and knocked on the door before entering, making Kerri's head snap to the door. There were four huge bags in front of the small woman as she walked in, and she hung them up on the hooks on the wall.

"Ok, we'll start with this one." She pulled out a red dress with a full collar; a normal collar with a black ruff around it, and what looked like a button up shirt underneath, going all the way up the neck.

She helped Kerri into the dress, zipping and buttoning her in. Kerri looked at herself in the mirror, and shook her head. "I- I don't think this one, it's a beautiful dress, but I kinda wanted..." She trailed off, not sure how to explain.

Dara watched her reflection as she swished the skirt and blushed. "Ah, you want a nice dress like this, but you're going with the boy you like, and you want to impress him?" Kerri nodded as her blush grew. "Is this the first time you've gone to a dance with him?" Kerri nodded again. "Hmmm.." Dara unzipped the dress and placed it carefully back into the bag. "Not this one. This one won't do..." She measured around Kerri's chest and waist, then her hips and from hip to bust. "I think I know..." She took the other dresses and left.

When she came back, she had two more bags in her hands, and she hooked them onto the wall. "Let's try this one first." She opened a bag and pulled out a yellow dress, it was puffy enough, the sleeves were short and puffy, and you could see a bodice that needed to be laced, but Kerri shook her head at the color.

"I can't do yellow, or gold, my skin's kinda..." she trailed off and gestured with her hand vaguely.

The older woman held the fabric up to her arm. "This color wouldn't look bad, it's a lighter daffodil yellow, but if you don't like it, it won't be right for you." She put it back into the bag and zipped it up, then unzipped the other bag and pulled out a beautiful piece of fabric. Kerri couldn't see the whole dress yet, but the material was so beautiful that she hoped she liked it, because it would be a waste of the gorgeous material if she didn't.

The dress was long and puffy, of course, the neck line was wide, like the other dress, and the sleeves seemed to be just the wide collar. There was an edge of fabric wrapped around, going from the bottom to the top, and a sort of silver swirling design was embroidered into it along the edge every so often, leaving spaces to break it up. At the waist it was silky folds of the beautiful fabric, and at just the middle of the bust, the silver design was back, highlighting the fullest area of the breast.

Kerri was in awe of the beautiful gown, watching it as she let the woman start dressing her in the underwear for the beautiful green dress. First was the petty coats, to make the dress puffy, then the actual dress. It was lowered over her head and fitted onto her top, then laced and buttoned up, skin tight so it didn't fall down, since the "sleeves" were barely clinging to the edges of her shoulders. Dara stood back and pulled the skirt down in soft flips of the material.

Kerri looked at herself in the mirror and a distant look came over her face. The skirt wasn't huge, just fuller than a normal prom dress, which was good, since she was going to be in a room with a large crowd, the top showed off that she had large breasts without drawing too much attention to them, and it accentuated her waist perfectly, not too skinny, not too fat.

She was brought back to reality when the door swung open, and she turned to face it, seeing Dara leading Kitty in.

Kitty stopped and her face reflected her surprise. "Wow! That's gorgeous! Turn around!" Kerri obeyed and Kitty gasped again, "Wow! I see why you like that kind of dress now. It's like you were built to wear that kind of thing!"

"And that's what we call the "Goldilocks dress"." The older woman said.

Kerri blushed and Dara closed the door, showing Kitty how to help Kerri get dressed, because she was going to need some help, for sure.

Kitty showed Kerri her dress, a strapless long skirted thing that was dark red- pink at the bottom, with black embellished roses along the hem, the color faded as it moved up, being light pink on the legs, and turning the dark color again at the thigh with the black roses there as well, there was a beaded pattern on the waist to accent it, and the dark pink pattern showed above that for about three inches, then the top of the bust was the same light pink as the middle of the skirt.

"Wow, that's pretty," Kerri said, holding the slightly shiny fabric.

They went to the counter to pay for the dresses and Dara asked, "Are these together, or separate?"

"Um, do you have a lay away option?" Kerri asked, sure that she'd never be able to afford the dress all at once. She only had fifty dollars to her name at the moment. "Or rental options?"

Dara raised one eyebrow at her, and Kitty bumped her in the side. "Don't worry about it." She handed the woman a card. "I'll put it on my card and you can pay me back."

Kerri looked over at her. "I- it'll take a while, are you sure?"

Kitty looked back at the woman. "How much is it?"

Dara rang up the dresses. "It's five hundred all together, the green one is three, including everything."

Kitty nodded. "That's not too bad." But Kerri was shocked, her eyebrows were in her hair somewhere, she was sure.

'Who in their right mind would pay two hundred for Kitty's dress, and three hundred for mine? I should have just made my own!' Kerri thought.

Kurt was almost asleep in the chair when Kitty finally came up to them and dumped a large dress bag on him. "Ach!"

Kitty giggled. "Wake up Kurt, we still have to go find you a cummerbund and stuff."

* * *

Kerri hung the dress bag in her closet with extreme care. She still couldn't believe how much it had cost.

They'd managed to find a cummerbund that matched, even though Kitty continued insisting that it would be better if it was a surprise for Kurt when he saw the dress. They'd also managed to find a cummerbund for Piotr that looked red enough it wasn't pink, but still matched the colors on Kitty's dress.

Kerri ran a hand down the dress bag again, thinking of how beautiful the dress was, and how she hoped that she could look beautiful in it. She was startled by a knock on her door, and went to open it.

Kurt looked up as the door swung open on it's hinges. "Hallo, I vas vondering if you vould vant to come on a valk vizh me?"

They walked outside for a little bit, and Kerri grabbed Kurt's hand, her tail slipping out and twitching excitedly as she pulled him over to her favorite place to look at the stars, by the school wall.

Kerri looked up at the stars and held Kurt's hand while he told her about how Margali had been able to read them and tell fortunes, and Kerri entertained him with Greek stories about how the stars came to be and how the constellations got their names.

They stayed like that for a while, and Kurt drifted into sleep.

Kerri looked over at him, noticing the deep breathing, and smiled. He was so cute and peaceful laying there.

Her smile fell and her cheeks heated as a thought came to her mind. She bit her lip and looked around. Seeing no one, she scooted close, laying on his outstretched arm and putting her head and hand on his chest.

Her eyes closed as she took in a deep breath. His heart was beating under the hard muscles under her cheek and she could smell his delicious scent all around her. He was so warm and comfortable to lay against. A smile spread across her face and a blush crawled up her cheeks as she cuddled close.

'It's so perfect... I'll only stay here for a moment... Just for a minute...' She thought as she drifted into sleep.

Kurt started drifting into consciousness and slowly became aware that he couldn't move.

Well, he could, but only one side, and it was chilly. Well not chilly exactly, just that it was so much warmer on the other side.

He opened his eyes and saw the stars above him. 'Vhy am I outside?' He thought and his memory came back to him; he and Kerri had been looking at the stars and talking.

The stars were still up, so he didn't know how long he'd been asleep, but he had a feeling it had been for a while.

He blinked the sleepys out of his eyes and tried to stretch, but he really couldn't move his one side very far, and he noticed that he could feel his tail wrapped around something, and that it wasn't him.

He looked over and saw a bristled sandy tail along his side and worried for a moment that Kerri was angry, but he couldn't see her face.

He moved his tail and felt that it was down by his leg, he squeezed it and Kerri let out a soft sleepy moan from under her tail on his chest and shifted her leg, which was on his own leg and he could tell now that that's where his tail was.

By shifting Kerri's tail slightly Kurt could see that she was curled into his side with her cheek on his chest and her hand holding onto the neck of his shirt, and that she was laying on his arm, which was why he couldn't move it.

His eyebrows lifted in surprise, he didn't remember laying like this before he'd fallen asleep. She must have gotten closer after he'd drifted off.

Which would mean... That she wanted to be this close to him...

Kurt tried to absorb this thought, but his brain was still processing that she was this close.

He watched her sleeping face. 'She is so calm... So beautiful...' The thought of what a miracle this moment was ran through his mind as he hesitantly moved his hand closer to her face and brushed a strand of hair off of her cheek.

She let out a sleepy hum and turned her cheek into his palm, her face turning up to his.

Kurt suddenly felt the urge to kiss her, right here, right now, while she was in dream land, but he knew it wouldn't be fair.

Besides, he wanted her to be conscious when he kissed her, so that she would know he'd kissed her, and all her worries about kissing would be put to rest. Then, he hoped, he'd be able to kiss her as much as they could sneak in under the blanket of teacher supervision. A blush crept up his face at his thoughts.

"Kerri," he whispered softly, running his hand over her cheek in an attempt to wake her. He saw her eye peek open, then close as a smile spread out under his hand. "Kerri," he tried again, and she cuddled closer, her hand clutching tighter to the neck of his shirt and her nose pressing into his chest.

He looked up at the stars, reflecting again on what a miracle it was to find a woman that cuddled so close to him, even though his inducer was off.

He'd like to stay like this forever, but he knew that he had to wake her; he shuddered to think what would happen if Scott found them like this in the morning.

Kerri was dancing with Kurt, he was holding her so close, it made her giggle and press closer as they spun around the room.

"Kerri," his voice came through her dream and her consciousness slowly lifted to the surface. Her eyes drifted open, still hazed with sleep and happy dreams, and she looked up into Kurt's glowing golden eyes. "Hm?" She hummed in question.

Kurt looked at her face, taking in her expression of sleepy happiness. "Ah, it's late, I zhink, und ve should go to bed," he told her as he caught himself staring.

Kerri's brain had trouble associating this to her dream and she blinked, looking around.

The realization that this wasn't a dream and that she really was half on top of him came fast. She blushed and gasp in embarrassment. "Oh! I, uh, I'm sorry..." She climbed backwards off of him quickly.

Kurt sat up and a light smile came to his mouth at her nervously biting her lip and looking at the ground, like she was worried he would be mad or hadn't liked it. He stood and offered a hand to help her up.

"So, Kerri," he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close, and breathed deeply from her neck, like he was trying to take in enough of her scent to last him through the night. "Next time zhat happens, could I be avake too, bitte?"

If Kerri had money to make a bet, she'd bet that anyone could see how red her cheeks were in the dark, not just Kurt with his night vision. "Well, um, I, uh, don't know if it'll ever happen again..."

Kurt pulled back and his hand moved to her cheek. "Ah, bitte, don't say zhat, leibling. It vas nice."

"Ok..." She said, and he found himself gazing into her eyes and his lips mere inches away from hers.

He wanted to kiss her so badly right now, and the cute look on her face, with her lips slightly parted and a look of trust in her eyes, wasn't helping matters.

He closed his eyes, momentarily disappearing into the darkness, then pulled her close and let a sigh out into her shoulder.

She was not making it easy to not kiss her.


	29. I'd really rather not

**[AN: Hi everyone, not much to say, hope you enjoy the chapter, please feel free to comment, message, or just read! Every time I look at how many reads this story gets and all the alerts and favorites, it makes my day!]**

* * *

Kerri sat in math, distracted from what professor Summers was trying to teach. Her mind was lost in her night adventure with Kurt.

Although, she wasn't sure she could call waking up in his arms an adventure when she was the one who had put herself there.

But, never the less, Kurt was so...

She wasn't sure what her next word was going to be.

Handsome? Well, that was true. Wonderful? That was true too. Gentlemanly? Mark another one up for being true. Happy to find her that close?

She remembered the look in his eyes, showing how much he'd wanted to kiss her, and remembered how much she'd wanted to kiss him, too.

It was hard to watch him disappear as he closed his eyes, her only idea that he was still there the fact that he was holding on to her and still being able to see his clothes in the darkness.

Then she thought how hard it must have been for him to not kiss her, because the only thing stopping her from lip locking him was her inability to do so physically.

She didn't notice the dreamy look on her face and her tail vigorously swishing back and forth behind her, but Scott did. "Ah-hem, Miss Smith, would you care to share your thoughts with the class?"

Kerri looked up, startled. "Uh, no..."

"Then, please resume your work."

When the bell rang, Scott asked her to stay back and talk to him, the rest of the class snickering as they left.

"Do you want to tell me what you were doing while you should have been studying in class?"

Kerri blushed and was horrified by the thought. "No, thank you."

Kurt and Kitty walked to math, and Kitty suddenly nudged him in the side. "Isn't that Kerri, coming out of math?"

Kurt's eyes immediately searched for her, finding her a few yards ahead of them. "Ja, I'll be back," Kurt told Kitty and jogged to catch up to Kerri. "Vhy hallo, Fraulein."

Kerri turned and her eyebrow raised at being called miss. "Ja? Vas ist los?" She asked him. {yeah, what's up?}

"Vell, nozhing, aber, how about I valk you to class?"

"What class do you have next?"She asked.

"Mazh," he told her.

"But, that's right here, you'll be late if you walk me all the way to history."

"Don't vorry," he told her, taking her books out of her hands. "Vhat are boyfriends for, if not valking you to class und carrying your books, right? Besides, I can teleport back like zhat!" He snapped his fingers.

"Oh, yeah," Kerri wondered how she kept forgetting that he could teleport whenever he wanted to, and not just in battle.

They walked to history, Kerri brushing her finger tips against his and smiling.

Kurt caught her hand and she turned to look at him outside of the class. "You know, leibling, it's not nice to tease a man so, gentleman or not."

Kerri felt a confused blush creep up her cheeks and she was about to ask Kurt what he meant when the bell rang over head.

He leaned in, pressing her books into her hands and kissing her on the cheek before leaning back and saying, "See you at lunch," as he Bamfed back to the math classroom.

As she sat down at the lunch table, Kerri felt eyes on her. She looked around, but couldn't find anyone looking at her. She turned back to her lunch and listened to Kitty talk about the different hair styles she was going to try out for the formal.

"What kind of hairstyle were you thinking about, Kerri?" She asked.

"I don't know, pinned up or something. Why are you thinking about that now? There's still almost a month before the dance," Kerri asked.

"That's right, only about a month!" Kitty said, making Kerri shake her head and laugh quietly at her.

"You know you're just going to go to zhe beauty parlor in zhe end, Kitty," Kurt teased.

"Good, because ponytails and braids are about the end of my hair expertise," Kerri told them laughingly.

"Yes, but it's important to give the girl something to work with when you go." Kitty told them.

"Vhat are ve going to do vhile ve vait for you?" Kurt asked, thinking it would be boring to wait forever for them.

"We'll be taking separate cars, of course," Kitty told him. "After all, we'll have to get our nails done, and stuff, right, Kerri?"

"Right..." Kerri said, but she was distractedly looking around the lunch room.

She was sure she could feel someone staring at her.

* * *

Kerri walked into the library to meet Kurt for dance practice, but she was thoroughly worn out.

She'd just been doing some tough work on her powers with Professor Xavier, managing to create a table and sustain it for an hour.

Kurt sat at the table, reading one of his books, although the dust jacket was off, so it was hard to see what the title was.

Kerri sat next to him, laying her head on the table.

Kurt looked over at her. "Tired?"

Kerri nodded. "But look what I can do," she said as she stood up and reached to her side, pulling her hand from behind her leg, holding nothing.

Kurt looked at her, confused.

Kerri sat down with a flop. "Well, I did it earlier..."

"You look really tired, are you sure you vill be able to practice dancing?" Kurt asked her.

Kerri shook her head. "I don't know, maybe."

They ended up just enjoying each others company and reading until Kerri started falling asleep.

She tipped a bit and started leaning against Kurt.

"Kerri, vhat are you doing?" He asked, thinking she was getting awfully close. He looked over at her and realized she was almost asleep, and blushed at what he'd been thinking.

"Reading..." She murmured, even though her book was only stopped from closing by her thumb as it lay on the table and her eyes were closed.

Kurt 's mouth turned up into a smile. He moved his arm to around her back and she fell against his chest, the arm next to him falling into his lap and her other hand grabbing onto the side of his shirt. He put his hand on her cheek, running it across her soft skin, then turned her face to look at him. "Kerri, you should go to bed."

Kerri's eyebrows pinched together. "I'm not sleepy though..."

Kurt's eyes were locked on her mouth. 'Ach, how I vant to kiss zhat pout avay...' He thought to himself, staring long enough that her expression softened back into a neutral look, her eyes still closed.

He shook his head, trying to remember why he wasn't going to kiss her yet. "Come on, Kerri," he said as he pulled away.

"Where're we goin'?" She asked sleepily.

"To bed," he answered.

"Together?" Her sleepy voice was so innocent, but it made him pause in trying to pull her to her feet.

"Ahhh, vhat do you mean?" He asked, not sure what to say.

"I can't walk up the mountain by myself..." She answered.

Kurt let out a breath. "Don't vorry, I'll valk vizh you." He put her arm around his neck and his arm around her waist, holding her against him. "Ok, here ve go."

They started walking, and Kurt listened to her as she spoke about strange things, what ever she was dreaming about in her half asleep half awake state.

"There's where the giant lives, be careful..." she mumbled to herself, "the dance floor is too slick..."

Kurt tried not to laugh, but she sounded funny. He wondered what her dream was, where there was a mountain, a giant, and a dance floor.

They made it to her door, and Kurt used his tail to turn the knob. "Here you are, leibling, your castle and bed avaits," he told her with a laughing smile.

The smile left his face when he saw what was strewn across the floor.

Books and papers.

For anyone else, it might seem normal, but Kerri took such great care for every book that she held, he didn't think she'd let them sit on the floor like that.

"Vait, let me go first, leibling, I'd besser make sure zhat no giants are in zhere," Kurt told her and cautiously walked in. He looked into the corners and under the furniture, but no one was there. "Ok, alles gut," he told her as picked up a few of the books. {all is good}

He noticed that a few of them were art books, pictures of bodies and body positions, close ups of faces. He set them on her desk and gathered the papers and the folder that they'd been in.

As he tried to make the papers get into enough order to go back into the folder, he saw that one of them was darker than the rest and turned the pages until he could see that one.

It was a picture of the night sky full of stars, but there was something else...

He looked closer and saw a tailed figure there, a gap in the stars with eyes blending into them.

Was that him?

He flipped through to the next paper and saw a scribbled outline that didn't make much sense to him, like there were too many lines to make a clear picture.

His curiosity had him still going through the papers, they were almost all pictures, of flowers, of animals, he saw another one of the stars, but no figure was hidden in the darkness in this one.

Then he found a picture of two people kissing.

It was almost like she'd taken the basic outlines from the book and traced them, turning them into the picture it was now, he could still see the erased lines under the darkened lines of the picture.

He glanced over his shoulder and saw Kerri close the door and start picking up imaginary papers by it. He looked back to study the picture and could make out the two faces, they were both vaguely familiar, but it was hard to tell with them both sideways. He moved his thumb and saw the ear on the face on the right.

It was a pointed ear.

His ear.

It was a picture of him and... Her? Kissing.

He flipped through more of the pictures, finding no more like the one of them.

Kerri was at his shoulder, weaving a little bit and looking at the pictures with him.

His body froze, worrying that she'd be mad at him for looking at the pictures, and the stack of papers turned back to the picture of the figure in the stars.

"It's good, right? It took a long time to get the position right, then I had to do the stars to match the eyes, then I shaded it all in and the hard work was covered." She laughed softly and he looked back to the papers in his hand, wondering what she was talking about.

He realized that she was still in a sleepy trance like state, and thought that maybe he could just ask her about the picture straight out. "Kerri, vhy did you draw people kissing?"

She looked up at him, then closed her eyes, like she was remembering something. "There was a thing we did once in art class at my old school... Draw your wishes into reality..."

Kurt was taken aback. "D- draw your vishes into reality, like, draw vhat you vish for?" He turned back to the page with them kissing.

In the picture he didn't have his image inducer on, or so he suspected due to the pointed ear. He looked back to Kerri who was nodding. "So, um," he set the papers on her desk, unsure of what to say, and to distract from the want he was feeling; the want to kiss her.

It was getting so hard to not kiss her, but he wanted to let her take her time.

Kerri felt a feeling around her, like a hug... Like someone pulling her close... Like he was going to kiss her...

"Mmm-hmmm hmmm..." She laughed in a hum. Kurt turned around to see Kerri turning her face up to him from the floor and opening her eyes. She took his hand and pulled him over to her bed. "Kurt, I can tell what you want... I want it too..."

Kurt's mind slipped into the gutter with a splash, and Kerri felt it.

She sat on the edge of the bed and smiled, patting the bed beside her. "Why don't you sit down?"

Kurt chose to instead crouch in front of her, and looked into her heavy lidded eyes as her body tilted slightly from side to side. They weren't hazed or clouded, like they had been when she was drunk, but they were a little dull, like she still wasn't quite in reality. "I zhink zhat might be a bad idea..."

Kerri leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him, resting her forehead on his shoulder.

"Vhy are you doing zhis, Kerri?" Kurt asked, suddenly worried about his self restraint if she tried to come on to him too strongly.

"Because I can tell your thoughts have changed..." She whispered by his ear, then kissed his neck, her body copying the gesture he'd given her that seemed to mean something more than her sleepy mind could understand.

Liquid fire was pouring through his veins, and his thoughts fuzzed, then snapped back to working order.

He needed to leave.

Now.

He pulled back with an apologetic look on his face, trying to think of how to say goodnight without rejecting her harshly.

Kerri looked into his eyes, the innocent sleepy look back. "It's ok, Kurt, I know, you're a gentleman..." She laid down on the bed. "Goodnight, Kurt..."

Kurt looked at her form on the bed for a moment, wondering how she could be so conflicting with herself; was that her true inner self, or was she just so tired that she was acting strange?

"Gute nacht, mein liebling," he said quietly before he left, closing the door behind him. {good night, my darling}

He arrived in his room in a cloud of smoke, still wondering.

At least she wasn't mad at him.

But he didn't know how much longer he could hold out against kissing her.

It was starting to consume his waking thoughts, how she would feel against his lips, what she'd taste like, if she'd clutch onto him like she did in those moments when she didn't think he noticed, when he held her close in his arms as they both wished they could kiss.

* * *

That Saturday was generally a boring day to Kerri as she was dragged around town to look at more things for the Formal.

After they got back, Kerri and Kurt just rested and watched a movie in the rec room with some of the other students who weren't out looking at stuff for the dance.

As the evening drew closer, Kerri thought she felt someone staring at her again. She looked around, but she couldn't find anyone.

Her tail twitched in annoyance, and Kurt wrapped his own tail around it in a soothing manner.

They were seated together, but when they were in front of the other students, they always remained far enough apart that they didn't look like they were all over each other, just in case a teacher passed, also Kurt was too much of a gentleman to "impugn her honor" and possibly start rumors.

"Do you vant to go for a valk?" Kurt asked her, having found out that Kerri liked being outside especially at sunset.

Kerri nodded and they walked around the school to the pool, which was the best spot to watch the sunset.

Kurt had noticed all day that it seemed like Kerri didn't remember last night at all. He wondered if she was just pretending because she was embarrassed, or if she really didn't remember. He decided to try to find out. "Kerri, about last night..." He trailed off so she could fill in the rest, but she just looked over at him and waited for his question. "You know, zhat zhing you did..."

Kerri looked at him confusedly for a moment, then said, "Oh, that thing I was going to show you." She stood up and closed her eyes, then put her hand behind her leg and pulled it out, holding a small sized cutlass.

Kurt's eyes widened. "Wow, zhat is cool!"

"Do you want to hold it?" Kerri asked, holding it to him.

Kurt took the sword, amazed that she had created something so complex when he checked the balance. He looked at her, seeing a smile on her face, and decided that she just didn't remember. A shocked expression came over his face as the sword disappeared.

Kerri almost laughed. "Sorry, it's easier to keep it going when I can feel it."

* * *

Kerri walked into the danger room, but didn't see Kurt anywhere.

She was a little confused, but stood at the ready, until the Professor's voice came over the speaker; "Kerri, today we're going to do an evaluation on how well you are doing in battle training. We're trying for no injuries."

Kerri nodded, and the room shivered, the image slowly being replaced by the simulation.

There were five large men, buff like Logan, but taller, too.

They were standing around a fire pit, or something like it, and she could see that there was a family in the pit, man, woman and child.

"So, rescue the princess then," she noted to herself. She looked around and studied the terrain for a moment before calling out for the men's attention. "Hey! Schissekompf!"

The men looked up to her, then all of them ran at her.

'Yeah, great plan...' Kerri thought to herself, shifting into her battle form. She leaped into the air, then flew at them, careful to keep her tail barb covered. She stretched out her wings and hit the first three, then fluttered her wings to regain her balance, managing to stand before wrapping her tail around one of the men's legs and pulling them out from under him, and he fell to the ground.

She thought quickly about rope, the feeling the texture, the strength, and made a length of it appear in her hands as the remaining man came at her.

Her tail shot forward and caught one of the man's hands, she grabbed his arm, careful not to puncture him with the sharp nails on her hands, and turned, dragging his hands together, her tail wrapping around them to stop them from moving as she pushed him to the ground and he landed on his face.

She was about to tie his hands when two of the first three came toward her.

She jumped to the other side of the man on the ground, but noticed that she still wouldn't have time to tie his wrists. She flared her wings and leaped over the face down man at them, then pushed one of them away with her powerful leg, careful not to claw out his stomach with her talons, her foot touched the ground for a moment and she turned, her leg kicking out to knock the other man away, only remembering half way there to soften the blow so she didn't actually hurt him.

She could see the other two men up and coming towards her, so she fell to her knees and started tying the face down man's hands, taking a hold of him and rolling over, then keeping him rolling over her to put distance between them and the other men.

She quickly finished tying his arms and her tail flicked back, pulling one of his legs into range and tying it up too.

She stood, putting up her hands and bouncing them like she had just tossing something into the air, and catching the long length of rope that fell heavily into them.

She wrapped the end of the rope around the tip of her tail and flung her tail around in a circle above the two men coming toward her, then pulled it tight. It caught around their ankles and she tied it into a knot, then jumped into the air and glided around them in a quick, tight loop, wrapping the rope around them as she went.

As those two fell the last two came at her, and she fluttered backwards, making more room between her and them.

She focused and thought of how a picnic bench felt, the rough wood, the low height that was too easy to run into with your shin, and placed it right in front of the two men, her breath coming fast and sweat running down her body from strain as she forced more objects into existence.

The two men tripped over the low picnic bench that was suddenly there, and Kerri leaped onto the closest one, her tail flying to the other, and trying to tie the man's hands while the sweat ran down her face into her eyes.

She managed to sort of hog tie the first man and climbed over to the next one, panting as she tied his hands.

She stood up and focused on remembering that the ropes were there, but let the bench go to take some of the strain off.

She walked to the pit, wiping the sweat out of her eyes. "Hello, I'm here to rescue you, please let me assist you in getting out of the hole," Kerri told them in the voice that customer service representatives usually used.

She pulled back as the woman screamed, unsure of what was happening, and looked behind her, seeing nothing. She turned back to see the man standing between her and his family.

Kerri sighed and rolled her eyes, then lost her battle form.

She'd grown so comfortable in it that sometimes she forgot that she was wearing it. She put out her hand again. "Let me help you up."

"Nasty muttie!" The man yelled at her.

Her eyebrows knitted and she looked around. 'How am I supposed to rescue them if they won't let me help... Maybe leave rope? And thinking about rope...' Kerri focused on the rope being on the men's hands and the restricted feeling it gave them, then looked back to the people in the pit.

The man was still yelling obscenities at her, but she had stopped listening, and the mother was turned, shielding her child from her, even though the child didn't look afraid.

'Children, the innocent blank slates that don't judge or hate until they are corrupted and taught to by their parents.' This gave Kerri an idea.

She took a breath and cleared her mind, although she kept the thought of the ropes in the back, just in case, and pressed the thought of blankness onto the family, giving them a hit of calm serenity to stop the rage inside of them.

Silence fell over them and Kerri put her hand out, taking the child and setting him on the ground, then helping the woman out with the man's help. The man held onto her hands as he climbed and she pulled, and together, they managed to get him out of the hole.

Professor Xavier turned to Logan from the screens he was looking at. "I think she is doing very well, I didn't see any injuries."

Logan nodded his head in agreement before letting out a puff of smoke from his ever present cigar.

"Do you think she will be ready to go out on a mission soon?" Xavier asked him, knowing that Logan was hard on the students, but only to push them to do their best, and if he said she was ready for a trial run, she would be able to pull her own weight, at least, barring some enormous disaster.

"Think she's ready. Only way to tell for sure is to throw her in." Logan said it with an air of uncaring, but Xavier's lips turned up in a knowing smile.

He knew that to the fierce Wolverine, this was the equivalent of a mother bird throwing her chicks out of the nest so they could learn how to fly.


	30. The beginnings of heartache

**[AN: Damn Fanfiction, I go through and check for reviews every so often, I didn't even see the last two! Lol, that might have something to do with me never checking my email, though... I really have at least 300 every time I open it. Anyway, thank you, ****tori sherratt, for your review, it makes me happy to know that someone is enjoying my story so much! I hope everyone else is enjoying it, too. And now, for those of you who actually read Author's notes, on to the story! Please enjoy!]**

* * *

End of year finals were coming up in three weeks, causing the seniors to panic since these were the last test to see if they could get enough credits to graduate.

Kerri found out that the finals included all of the normal high school tests, and a danger room final, a two-part test to make sure you could handle your powers out in the real world without hurting yourself or anyone else.

The even bigger problem was that the formal was the Saturday right after the finals, sort of a break in the stress of tests, to help relax you before the danger room finals.

The only problem with that was that everyone who wasn't as prepared as Kitty was now running around like a chicken with their heads cut off, trying to find a good dress/suit and get everything for the dance all sorted out and study for the tests at the same time.

Some of the students in the same classes had even taken to walking to class together and quizzing each other as they walked.

For the first time in a ling time, Kerri felt nervous about a test. A little bit for her, but mostly for Kurt.

She had been helping him study, after all, and had been feeding him the answers, helping him remember them, but she was suddenly anxious, worrying if she had given him the wrong answer for something, and often found herself walking through the halls talking to herself, something she hadn't done in a while.

She would be on the way to math, and suddenly worry that she had told Kurt the wrong meaning for a word, and would softly recite the definition, moving on to the synonyms for the word, then end up looking it up in the dictionary anyway.

Her class periods with professor Xavier were changed to half periods as he told her he had some other matters to attend to; setting up a schedule for the danger room tests and who the examiners would be for each student.

She was sure it was tough; the examiners had to include professor Xavier himself, and three other teachers, working around when they were having class. And she'd heard that the tests were different for everyone, focusing on them completely.

She sat in the gym after her class with professor Xavier, stretching before she attempted the balance beam.

Logan sat in his usual seat, smoking, drinking, and lifting weights, as usual, keeping an eye on his only mentor-ee. He hadn't had one before, at least at the school. He didn't think the soldiers under him in the army counted.

It wasn't that he wasn't fit to have one, just that there were all types of people and teaching/learning methods, and she was the first one that had seemed compatible with him.

She was very similar to how he had been when he had first met Xavier; quiet, too quiet, not talking to anyone or taking any interest, until finding that one first person who opened her up, attacking when threatened instead of talking things out, hiding herself, not letting anyone in, right down to disliking Scott and worrying that she was a monster.

He'd already been there, through where she was; the purgatory between being a real person and being an animal.

It was hard to pick your self up from the gutter when you thought no one cared or understood, but he knew that she was tough, like him, she could handle it. And he was her mentor, so he was there to help her.

Kerri stood on the balance beam, about to try some new talents. It was strange how accustomed to standing on narrow things she had become, having no problems with balance now that she was letting her tail out.

She stood and bent at the waist, putting her hands on the bar and standing on her hands. 'I can do it! Finally! Only took almost six months!' She thought to herself, trying to take a step. She was not that good yet, though, and her feet fell to the beam to catch her before she fell off, leaving her in a triangle with her tail sticking out to balance her.

She practiced for the rest of the period and a while after, enjoying having the gym to herself due to everyone else studying for finals.

Kurt entered the gym and saw Kerri on the balance beam, alone in the gym except for Logan and himself.

As he got closer, she noticed him and walked along the beam toward him, as easily as if she was walking on the floor, her tail flicking to keep her balance.

"You are doing very vell, liebling," he commented, offering a hand to help her down.

"Thanks." Kerri blushed and held onto his hand as she stepped down.

Liebling. He'd been calling her liebling for a long time now, in fact, if she was remembering right, he hadn't used her name very much at all for a while; when he was getting her attention for a question or, she noticed, when he was being extra serious, but mostly it was liebling.

It was strange to her, but not strange enough that she was worried about it.

Actually, it sent a thrilling shiver of warmth through her when he called her that, like he was saying she was his favorite person in the world.

Kurt kept his hold on her hand and they turned to face each other as her feet reached the blue padded mats that were the floor in this area.

"I zhought you might be here, since you veren't in zhe library. Are you ready for dance practice, liebling?"

Another shiver of warmth thrilled it's way down her spine, and her lips ached to touch his.

A hint of a smile lifted the corner of her lips. "Sure, let me go wash off and change. Be right back."

Kurt watched her walk toward the locker rooms, then, unsure of what to do with himself, he walked over to the benches in the weight lifting area and sat down across from Logan.

Logan stared at him as he continuously lifted the bar bell in his hand and puffed out smoke every few lifts.

It was a little unnerving, and after a few moments he asked, "Vas?"

Logan grunted noncommittally and blew out a breath of smoke. "Wondering why you're still wearing that."

It took Kurt a moment to realize that he meant his image inducer. He was trying to think of something to say when Kerri rescued him. "Ready?" She asked, freshly changed and washed off, and Kurt nodded, standing up.

They reached the back corner of the library, where no one was.

"I can't believe zhere is never anyvone here, especially since zhere are so many people studying for finals," Kurt said, surprised by the difference in population between here and the front of the library, which was jam-packed with people.

"Mm-hm," Kerri nodded as she set up the cd player. "That's why I chose it, no one really comes back here, it's pretty secluded, so I just pulled over a table. Easier to hide the ugliness when no one's looking..." Her hands paused in pushing the buttons on the cd player. She hadn't meant to say that out loud, it was just so easy to talk to Kurt.

She always wanted to say the right things, and she always blurted out the stupid emo things hiding inside that made her look like an idiot.

Kurt was at her side before she realized it, and he took a hold of her hands, turning her to look into her eyes. "I don't see anyzhing ugly back here, must be your imagination."

Kerri blushed and looked down as a smile slipped over her lips.

Kurt put a finger under her chin and tilted her face back up to look into her eyes again, and a fresh wave of scent washed over him, her scent, like a spicy orchid, mixed with what must have been pure mind altering distraction disguised as brown sugar and vanilla flavored body wash.

He stared into her eyes and she stared back, unknowingly sharing the thought that this must be the most beautiful person they'd ever met, when a sudden chord of classical music startled Kurt out of his reverie. He took her hand in his and bowed slightly. "May I have zhis dance?"

Kerri bowed her head, nodding yes, and watched her other hand as she placed it onto his shoulder.

Kurt started turning them in circles within circles, the basic pattern of the waltz, and Kerri's gaze settled distractedly somewhere just above Kurt's belly button, her eyes zoned out wistfully.

The warm smell of vanilla and sugar covered flowers invaded his senses, intoxicating him, making him want to pull her face up to his and drink the honeyed flavor from her lips like you would from a honeysuckle in summer.

She was far too far away, even though it was only an arms length. He suddenly wanted her closer -closer- lips touching -closer- arms clasped around each other -closer- so close their souls touched. It became an ache in his chest.

"Kerri," Kurt almost whispered as he stopped moving.

"Nn?" She looked up, biting the inside of her bottom lip. The look in his eyes hit her with the force of an emotional sucker punch and stole her breath.

"Do me a favor, ja?" Kerri nodded. "On mein vatch," his hand left her hip and he nodded to it. "Press zhat button zhere, nei- ja, zhat vone," he directed her hand to the right button.

Kerri pressed the button on his watch, wondering what was up, and there was a flash, then she was looking down her side at his blue, fuzzy arm. A smile spread over her face as she looked back to him and saw that his hologram was off. Her breath was coming a little quicker and she felt her heart beating faster, a tightening feeling came over her chest, like it was about to burst with emotion, she couldn't tell which one, but it was a good kind of feeling.

She put her hand back to his shoulder, but although she was enjoying seeing him without his cover, she wanted to be closer. She felt her eyes tearing gently, and she pressed against him, putting her cheek on his shoulder and closing her eyes, breathing his scent deep into her memory.

Kurt felt her hand clutch on the shirt fabric at his shoulder slightly, and he wrapped his arm around her back, holding her close.

Then he felt it, and soul touching felt like the right term for it. He felt joy, amazing, excruciating, radiating joy. And complete, he was complete on his own, of course, but like this, he felt _more_ complete, somehow.

Kerri could feel it, too, the wonderful joy that was so powerful it hurt, permeating her very self with happiness, and a sort of extra wholeness she'd never felt before. She looked up, into his eyes.

Now would be the perfect time for a kiss, but they could both feel that it wasn't needed; the moment was perfect without it.

Kerri put her cheek back to his shoulder and they just stood there, holding each other through the next song.

* * *

Kerri lay in bed that night, a confusion of emotions and thoughts running through her head.

Happiness, excitement, giddiness, wholeness, un wholeness, complete, empty, filled to the brim, and many other synonyms and homonyms flew through her body, and she was glad she was alone; with the feeling of happiness she felt a tingling where her large, canine ears would be, excitement, a wagging tail, giddiness, a strange feeling down her back, and for every part of fullness, un fullness, or perfection, as if a set of feathered wings in different positions due to how full/empty would appear.

Amazing, that's what it was.

She couldn't quite tell what it was together, there were too many pieces to the whole. She just knew that she felt fullest when thinking about Kurt, and it pained her when she thought about how separate they were, not specifically distance, although it was a factor. More like some inner part of them had made a connection, bonding, and now they were separated again.

Kurt lay in his bed, memories of a certain delicious scent filling his mind, and his heart ached to be close to Kerri again.

"Kerri," he whispered in the dark as his mind played over the event again as he fell into sleep.

* * *

Kurt sat in math on Friday, but in his mind, he was dancing with Kerri. A dance that was perfect, in the perfect moment lifting her chin without resistance, and kissing her. And it was perfect.

Perfect. That's how he wanted it to be when he kissed her...

His chest ached and his eyebrows drew closer together. Why did his chest hurt? What was this pain?

It wasn't like he'd gotten hit there, or anything, and it didn't really quite feel physical anyway...

The bell rang over head and he met Kitty at the door as they escaped to lunch. His chest throbbed again and his hand went to it subconsciously.

"What is up with you?" Kitty asked. "You look like you have heart burn, or something."

Kurt glanced over at her. "Neine, aber, my chest does hurt. Maybe I should go see Dr. McCoy in zhe med lab..."

Kitty looked at the look on his face more closely. "Where does it hurt?"

He pointed to his chest, right over his heart. "Right zhere."

"And, what does it feel like? What kind of pain is it?" She asked.

Kurt tried to think of the right way to describe it. "Like somezhing is pushing out on my ribs, pressure..."

"How long have you felt this way?" Kitty continued asking questions that seemed strangely random to Kurt.

"Since, I don't know, zhis morning, maybe? Vhy?"

"And what happened this morning?" Kitty ignored his question.

"Nozhing, I just got up and ready for class like normal, vhy?" He asked again.

"Nothing," she repeated. "Then, what happened last night?" Kitty continued, still ignoring his question.

Kurt sighed, although he was used to Kitty ignoring him to get the information she wanted before answering. "Nozhing. I vent to zhe library after class to practice dancing vizh Kerri."

"And then?" She prompted.

"Nozhing, she vasn't zhere."

"And then?" She waved her hand in a circle. "That didn't take all night..."

"Vell, so I vent zu zhe gym to see if Kerri was zhere." Kurt thought about what he was saying, trying to figure out what Kitty was trying to guess.

"And," she waved her hand again. "Come on, Kurt, sometimes you're so slow telling stories, it drives me nuts!"

Kurt grinned at her, then continued. "Vell, she vas zhere, so she changed, und ve vent to zhe library and practiced dancing." He shrugged.

"And then what?" Kitty prodded again.

"Nozhing, ve just practiced dancing," he told her, but then thought about what had happened. They'd practiced dancing, alright, but then something had happened... Something special...

Kitty was about to ask him again, when he said, "Neine, zhat vasn't es... Ve vere dancing... Und zhen..."

"And then what?" Kitty asked delicately, felling the preciousness of the remembered moment.

"Und zhen... I don't know... Ve vere just standing zhere... Somezhing happened.. Und ve vere just... Hugging... " A look of confusion was on Kurt's face as his eyes zoned out a little, and Kitty could tell that he wasn't quite sure how to explain what had happened to her, or himself.

"And it hurts here?" Kitty asked, poking his chest over his heart.

"Ja," he answered.

"But not like getting punched, it's not really physical. Like a ghost pain of something you remember hurting," Kitty said, stating a fact, not asking.

"Ja, how do you know zhat?" Kurt looked back to her with focused eyes.

"Because I've felt that before, too. I'm so happy for you, Kurt!" Kitty giggled giddily.

"Vhat? Vhy? Vhat's wrong vizh me?" Kurt asked, confused.

"Because it's great news! Kurt, you're in love! Not silly little high schooler love, either, that is the real deal!" Kitty exclaimed as she grabbed his hand and almost jumped up and down. "I'm so happy for you! Congratulations!"

"Vhat, how can you tell es is real?" He asked.

Kitty let go of his hand and looked a little awkward. "Well, so ok, listen. I'm not sure why, but the pain... That's how you can tell it's real... I guess if it just feels wonderful all the time it's not a real relationship... Or something. Maybe it hurts because you're apart. Maybe it's just God's sick joke, or maybe he put it there so you can tell when it's real. Who knows. But the pain is how you can tell. It only goes away when you've gotten close enough to the person you love, um," Kitty blushed, "like... in more than a physical way... Like, I don't know... Maybe getting married or admitting you're in love or something... Anyway, I'm just so happy for you Kurt!"

Kurt looked at her and tried to absorb this information.

He was in love?

It settled into his chest and the ache dulled. He thought of that moment with Kerri, and felt his heart swell.

He was in love.

That was what had happened...

Those emotions...

"Kerri," her name slipped from his lips in a whisper. "Und vas ist mit Kerri..." {and what about Kerri}

Kitty's smile fell a little as she saw the worried look on his face.

"Vhat if she doesn't feel zhe same vay?" Kurt asked, worry contorting his face.

"Uuuhh, I don't know why she wouldn't..." Kitty told him. "Did she run away again?"

"N-nein..." Kurt stopped dead in his tracks and looked at the doorway in front of them. They'd made it to the lunchroom, but now he was nervous, and the pressuring pain was back in his chest.

What if she didn't love him back?

"Come on, Kurt, you'll never find out if you don't even see her again..." Kitty coaxed him through the line and over to the table.

Kerri was sitting there already, biting her lip nervously. Then she realized that she was biting her lip, and thought about how stupid she probably looked and let go, only to find herself biting it again moments later.

Was Kurt coming? It felt like she had been sitting here forever with only the silent Piotr as company.

Her heart throbbed as she thought, 'Is he weirded out by last night?' She had thought it was so beautiful... So... Perfect.

Her heart throbbed again. What if he hadn't felt anything? What if it was only her? If she had felt that wonderful feeling and he hadn't, what would she do?

Kurt and Kitty made their way over to the table, careful not to trip over all of the open backpacks and the books on the ground. Kerri looked like a drooping flower, but when she saw them coming, Kurt coming really, Kitty suspected, she sat straighter and it was like the sun had risen, casting bright rays of happiness everywhere. 'Oh yeah,' Kitty thought. 'She's fallen, too. And hard.'

Kerri tried not to let her tail start waving back and forth madly, so she put it at her side, under the table. A fullness was pushing on her chest, trying to escape through her sternum. She was so happy to see Kurt, and happy that he wasn't avoiding her.

She realized that she was staring at Kurt, and that she might look creepy, so she glanced away, but her eyes returned to his when she felt his tail wrap around hers.

A smile came over her face and she looked down to her lunch.

* * *

They'd decided to stay at the school on Saturday, seeing as everyone would probably be running all over town to try and finish last minute things for the formal, and decided to take a break from studying, too.

Kitty met Kurt at the top of the stairs and they headed down to the rec room to meet the other two. "So, did you see that look on Kerri's face yesterday?" Kurt looked over at her in question. "She is definitely in love with you." She laughed. "How much have you guys been kissing? I remember after Piotr and I felt that feeling..." She laughed again.

"Ah, um, nein... Not at all yet..." Kurt blushed in embarrassment.

"What? No way! You made her fall in love with you without even kissing her? That's amazing! Freaking amazing!" Kitty's eyes were wide open in amazement. "You must be some sort of love god or something."

They reached the rec room and the four of them spent the evening playing card games, chess, pool, Kitty even found an old Monopoly game that they dusted off and played.

At the end of the night, Kurt walked Kerri up to her room to say good night. He held her hand the whole way, noticing how she made her hand fit with his, despite the strange shape. The pain in his chest had lessened, too, only occasionally pressing, mostly when he was thinking about how far away from Kerri he was.

They reached her door and stopped. Kurt looked into her eyes as she turned to him. "Vell... I guess I should say goodnight..." He paused, not wanting to go. "Gute nacht, Kerri."

"Goodnight, Kurt," Kerri answered softly.

He stared into her eyes for a moment longer, then turned to go, but she caught his hand. "Wait, don't go yet..." Her face flushed red as she refused to let him go.

"Vhy, vhat's wrong?" Kurt asked, wondering if something was wrong, but happy that she didn't want him to leave.

"N-nothing... I just don't want you to go yet..." She chewed the inside of her lip.

The corner of Kurt's lips quirked into a smile and he brushed his large thumb over Kerri's lip, smoothing it out from between her teeth. "You know, it's very cute vhen you bite your lip, liebling, aber, you shouldn't be so vicious to es. It vill start to hurt and zhen I von't be able to kiss you."

Kerri's eyes shot open wider and her lips parted in shock, she looked petrified by the thought. "Really?"

Kurt's smile widened. "Perhaps," he told her as he stared into her eyes, then his gaze lowered to her lips, parted just so, like they were inviting him to kiss them.

His free hand moved to her cheek of it's own accord, and his head filled with images.

In his mind's eye he kissed her passionately, pulling her close, pressing close, their arms wrapped around each other, trying to bind them together. Then, naturally, his hand might slide down her waist to her butt, then her thigh, then...

He felt his body tilt slightly toward her and sobered quickly from his desires. "Sorry, liebling, I zhink I should go before I break my promise to let you vait until you are ready for a kiss. Gute nacht, liebling." Kurt turned and Kerri let him go this time.

She couldn't think of anything to say.

What did you say to a person when you felt this way about them? And thinking of that, she didn't even know how she felt about him; she had liked him a lot, then they were dancing and something had happened.

Her feelings had changed. They were similar, but not the same. She was confused and worried.

'What if I don't like him any more?' A pain throbbed in her heart at the thought. 'Or what if I still like him, but he doesn't like me any more...' Another painful throb. "I'll just have to figure it out..." She mumbled to herself and went into her room.


	31. It's called heartache

**[AN: Sorry, everyone, I had some really dramatic shift changes in my schedule this week, early morning shift, followed by grave shift, followed by swing shift. :( Too crazy, so this chapter is less edited than usual, lol. Anyway, here's the new chapter, I hope you enjoy it! I'm going to bed!]**

* * *

Kerri sat in history, unable to listen to professor Monroe's lecture on the culture of ancient Rome. The words drifted uselessly around her head as she tried to come to terms with this new feeling that she had.

It was wonderful, but painful at the same time. Like biting into a hot fudge sundae and finding a jalapeno pepper.

Her heart hurt swelled up when she thought about Kurt, and how excited about the dance she was, but then she'd sit in class and wish he was near, and her heart ached.

'What is this feeling?' She asked herself again, driving herself insane with the question. 'Hate, anger, indifference, lust...' Her heart ached at the first three, but she blushed at the thought of it being lust.

It wasn't impossible that she felt lust, after all, she was an almost eighteen year-old girl with an almost eighteen year-old body, and just because her social skills had been stunted by her living situations, it didn't mean her body had matured any slower. But, she'd felt lust before, and this wasn't the same, although the need to be super close was similar.

* * *

The week passed slowly to Kerri, although to the other students, especially the seniors, it was too fast. They studied and studied, excited that after a long week of tests they'd get to go dance the night away and relax before doing their danger room exams.

But Kerri was still questioning her emotions, worried that something was wrong with how she felt about Kurt, worried about giving Kurt the right answers during study, and distressed that she only had a little time left with Kurt before he graduated and left.

That is what happened after you graduated, after all. Going onto college or the workforce. She wasn't sure what Kurt was planning to do after he graduated, but she was sure it involved leaving, and she was also sure that that would be the end of them. She was sure that a long distance relationship wouldn't work out well, even if they tried to make it work for a while, but who knew, she was experiencing all sorts of new things here.

* * *

Danger room training found Kurt and Kerri fighting Wolverine and Storm, preparing for the tests, she was sure. Kerri flew through the air, trying to keep Storm occupied while Kurt fought Wolverine hand to hand.

She flew toward her opponent, trying to send a cloud of distraction at her, but nothing happened except that she was distracted herself, trying to cultivate the cloud of feeling, and almost running into the woman in front of her.

She banked hard and caught Storm with her wing, spiraling to catch herself from falling, but Storm turned and sent a wind at her, trying to blow her away.

She turned her wings straight and hung in the gale without being blown back, cutting her wings every little bit to jump toward Storm. Her ponytail holder flew out of her hair and she suddenly had a wild mane flowing about. She cut her wings again and was so close to Storm she could almost reach out and touch her. 'One more,' she thought, 'just one more and I've got her...'

On the floor Kurt teleported onto Wolverine's back, then teleported him above the ground and dropped him, teleporting away again. He caught sight of Kerri's long ribbons of hair flying behind her and was momentarily distracted. Which, of course, meant that he was tackled by Wolverine.

He teleported higher, trying to drop Wolverine again, but he was holding on tightly this time, so Kurt put all of his body weight into landing on him.

Kerri cut her wings once more and flew straight into Storm in a sort of mid air tackle. The wind stopped blowing at Kerri and the two of them plummeted to the ground. Kerri had her arms, legs, and tail wrapped around Storm, trying to disable her from attacking.

They were getting closer to the ground, and Storm said, "Kerri, you've got me, now, stop us from hitting the ground."

Kerri's wings flared and her muscles strained, but she managed not to collide into the ground; dropping Storm from a short distance and coasting off to release some of her speed.

She was still going too fast, so she realigned herself to collide with Wolverine and Kurt, wrapping her tail around Kurt and grabbing hold of her mentor's arm. She would have spun off, crooked, but instead she spun around and used the momentum to throw him at the wall. He still didn't let go of Kurt, and the three of them hurtled toward the wall for a moment before Kerri stretched out her wings as far as they'd go, catching as much resistance as she could, and stalling in the air, ripping Kurt from Wolverine's grasp.

Wolverine landed against the wall, hanging on with his claws embedded in it before he leaped at them.

Kerri felt a being pulled backwards and inside out sensation before reappearing with Kurt on the other side of the danger room, Kurt sticking to the wall after teleporting, while Kerri hung upside down from him by her tail.

She let go and tried to flutter to righten herself, but the the teleporting sensation left her dizzy and she was still full of the distracted feelings, so she accidentally turned back to her regular self as she tried to get rid of the dizziness.

Kurt teleported lower and caught her, again sticking to the wall.

Wolverine stood in the middle of the room where he'd landed, and Storm walked toward him. "That's enough for today. You're done." He told the two teens.

They left and Kurt turned to Kerri as they went to the locker rooms. "Danke for zhe save."

"Thanks for not letting me fall on my head," she countered with a smile.

"Never, liebling," Kurt took her hand and held it to his chest. "Never."

The feeling throbbed in Kerri's chest, a tingling pleasure edged with just the tiniest bit of pain. Her words left her mind and she couldn't think of anything to say. She could never think of anything to say around him.

She blushed and looked down, her tail appearing with a twitch.

* * *

That Saturday was more studying, but Kerri convinced them to come out and look at the stars while they studied, and they ended up watching for shooting stars and doing more astronomy than math.

When they were all so tired they were stumbling to bed, Kurt insisted on walking Kerri to her room.

They stopped outside of her door and Kerri's tail, which she was seen more with than without these days, twitched nervously.

She looked up, into Kurt's eyes nervously and a smile crept it's way onto her lips. "Thank you for walking me along this treacherous road to my room, sir knight, I mean, sir pirate," she teased.

"Never a vorry, liebling..." Kurt returned, but the rest of his words left him, and they just stood in the hallway looking at each other and holding hands for a moment.

Kerri wanted to kiss him, really, really wanted to kiss him.

Rouge had said the moment would come, was this it?

Her chin ducked as she stepped closer to him.

Her breath came faster, her heart pounded. That had never happened before, did that mean that this was the time?

Her face turned up to him and her tongue flicked out to lick her lips, excited and nervous at the same time.

Her chin turned up a fraction of a hair, and her lips parted slightly.

And she stalled, frozen in place, unable to get any closer.

She felt her pulse quiver in her throat.

Kurt saw Kerri's lips part and his blood raced faster through his veins. She was trying to kiss him again, but from the look in her eyes, she was still unable. That was farther than she'd gotten before, though, maybe if he helped...

Kurt pulled her against his chest and heard her sudden intake of breath. He inched his head closer, letting only an inch between them.

Kerri's eyebrow pinched, then her eyes closed, then her lips closed in determination of turning up to kiss him.

Kurt ran his hand down the side of her face and she opened her eyes as he kissed her on the bridge of her nose.

He pulled back and smiled, but the look in her eyes, a hazily suggestive look asking him to break his promise, made his blood start racing again.

He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers for a moment, but it didn't stop the suggestions in his own mind.

"Ich habe versprochen," Kurt whispered, then told her, "gute nacht, liebling, sleep vell." He stepped back and disappeared with a puff of sulfur and smoke. {I have promised}

* * *

Kurt listened to professor LeBeau, but couldn't really take anything in. After school today he was going to see Kerri, and that was all his brain or heart cared about.

Seeing how she wore her hair today, usually in a long ponytail, but she had recently been braiding it. Listening to her talk while she helped him study. Seeing her move when she walked or practiced gymnastics in the gym. Watching her read the textbook to check the answer fourteen times, even though she knew the answer was right, her lip in her teeth and her hair in her hand. Looking at the curve of her neck as her hand moved up it to find her ponytail and nervously play with her hair. Trying to decipher the look in her eyes when she looked at him.

Was she trying to catch his attention? Or someone else's attention? He remembered that she hadn't thought anyone was going to ask her to the formal, of course he was going to and already had, but he wondered why she thought no one would ask her, especially when he had seen a couple of the other boys watching her walk down the halls.

The bell rang, startling him back to reality, and he stood with the rest of the class. He made his way to the door and out into the hallway. He let himself be pushed in the direction of the library, now nervous about seeing her.

He got there and walked through the mass of students in the front at the tables, books and practice tests scattered everywhere.

He went straight to the back, to the table Kerri had pulled back there when she had first arrived at the school, seeking somewhere where there were people, but where no one could see her.

He sat down, the first one to arrive. Kitty came next, then Piotr, then finally Kerri.

She had a far off look in her eyes, distracted from the real world around her. "Kerri," Kurt called, and she looked up at him. "Kerri, are you alright?"

Kerri nodded, but her mind was still consumed by thoughts of what her new feelings were. She sat at the table, ending up sitting on her tail, which she was now unable to make disappear. Everyone in the school was now aware that she had a tail, not that they had been completely oblivious before, but now it was there all the time. "Ow!" Kerri cried as she sat on the poor abused, furry thing.

Kurt looked up, concerned. "Vhat's wrong?"

"I sat on my tail, again," Kerri said, running her hands over it as it twitched with her emotions.

Kurt had a moment of thinking that he'd enjoy if she was stroking his tail like that, or maybe his chest- before saying, "Vhy don't you move es vhen you sit down?"

"I try to, but it always seems to get in the way," Kerri told him, her tail flicks reflecting the agitation in her voice.

Kurt's brow furrowed. "Don't try, just let it get out of zhe vay on it's own."

"How do you do that?" Kerri asked, confused. Tails didn't have a mind of their own, did they?

Now that she thought about it, Kurt did always plead that his did whenever it tried to curl around her somewhere.

"Just do your zhing, und it vill do it's own." Kurt told her, standing then sitting to show her.

She tried it and sat on her tail again, this time she kept her cry silent, biting her lip to keep it in. She held her tail and sat in the chair, pulling a textbook to her.

"Don't vorry, liebling, you vill get zhe hang of es," Kurt told her, his tail curling around her calf, and they started studying.

Kerri quizzed Kurt, her hands running nervously through her hair, braiding, unbraiding, rebraiding, making lots of little braids and braiding them together, bigger and bigger.

There was a noise behind her, a book dropping onto the carpeted floor, and she looked at attention over her shoulder at the noise, her ears perking. Both sets of them.

She realized that she had her large ears out and she closed her eyes, focusing on making them disappear.

At the end of the night, Kurt walked her to her room. Again she stared into his eyes. When he said good night, she wrapped her arms around him without saying a word.

There was an energy there, like a ball of emotions. She could feel it, but she still couldn't tell what it was. She thought she had been doing so well with learning how to communicate with humans again, but if she couldn't even tell what an emotion was, how human was she?

Her eyes started to water from a combination of the emotion she was feeling and from the distress as she worried about not being human enough to deserve Kurt.

What was she going to do? What could she possibly do, except pretend that everything was ok and try to figure out what the feeling was before Kurt figured out she wasn't as human as she seemed.

Kurt held Kerri close for what seemed like both an eternity, and only a minute. With his arms wrapped around her, the feeling of love he had seemed to grow bigger, stronger. "Kerri, I-"

His voice dropped off, but he'd used her name, so Kerri knew it was important. "What is it, Kurt?"

"I- nichts, nozhing. But I had besser say goodnight." He pulled away and saw a vulnerable look in her eyes. {nothing}

"Ok." It was the only word she could get out.

"Gute nacht... Kerri, bitte, don't look so sad..." It was all Kurt could do not to pull her into his arms and kiss the almost blank, sad look from her face.

Kerri blinked in surprise. She looked sad? She wasn't sad, just worried and distressed. She thought she'd had a better handle on hiding her feelings. She smiled and thought of a time she was happy, trying to push the feeling out around her so she seemed happy. "Sorry, just, worried about tests. Don't worry, Kurt, there is only one week left of hectic studying, then the tests will be here and we won't have time to worry." 'And then you'll graduate, be here for two more weeks til the end of school, then leave,' she added in her mind, feeling distressed all over.

'Unless you don't graduate, and get held back a year.' She immediately felt guilty about thinking that.

She should be a good girlfriend and want him to do his best. "Goodnight, Kurt, sleep well. I'll see you in the morning," she told him.

Kurt paused, conflicted about what to do, but said goodnight and went to his room.

* * *

Charles could tell that something was wrong with Kerri.

She sat in his office, in her normal spot, the couch along the wall, with her feet up, curling in on herself. Her tail waved and twitched distractedly around her legs.

"Kerri, would you like to tell me what's bothering you?" He tried the first approach, the least invasive. She shook her head, still looking at her knees. "Would you like to talk about it?" He tried to get her to open up on the subject. She shook her head again, her eyes distant. "Would you like to ask me questions about whatever it is?" He tried to get her to open up about the subject in general. She shook her head again. He tried to be receptive to any sort of emotion she was giving off, but she was shut down tight, closed off inside of herself.

He breathed a sigh. "How about we talk about your tail, then?" She looked up at him questioningly. "I have noticed that you hardly seem to be without it, recently."

She shrugged to him, "I think it's because of the tests coming up, and the end of the school year..."

"What about them?" He prompted.

"Well, I guess..." she paused, unable to voice her real problems. She didn't need to broadcast that she was worried about subconsciously sabotaging Kurt on the finals, or that she didn't know how she was going to cope when he left after he graduated.

A thought hit her. "Professor, where do the students all stay when the school year is over? I mean, I know that some of them must go home, but, what about the ones that have nowhere to go?"

Charles raised his eyebrows. "A valid question, Miss Smith," he was glad to see the hint of a smile at what ever her joke with that name was. "Yes, some of the students do go home, or already live at home in the area. Another number are going to go to college in the fall and will be moving to where ever their colleges are this summer. But the rest, like yourself, are of course expected to stay here. Unless they have somewhere they would rather go..." He left it hanging in case she wanted to jump in, but she just nodded.

"So, what about the ones that graduate but don't go to college?"

He paused. "We have a system set up so that we can find them a place to stay and help them get set up in the community, including finding a job."

Her eyes flew to his. "You mean that they leave, but they're still in this city?" She quizzed. That might not be so bad.

"Not necessarily, some choose to move out of state, or need to because of a job, and we help them with that, as well."

Kerri nodded. So it was the same, no matter what.

"Anything else?" He asked, making and opening for her.

She shook her head, then stopped, saying, "I- think something's wrong with my powers, or something..."

"Why do you think that?" He asked, wondering if this was the thing that was worrying her so much.

"Well, in the Danger room the other day, I tried to use the feeling telepathy, as a weapon, like I have before, but, it didn't work, I just confused myself." She told him.

"How have you used it before?" Charles asked over his touching finger tips.

"Just the way you taught me, pushing emotions out and onto people. But this time it didn't work," she said, although he could tell that she was just telling him this to appease him, and she was still concerned about something else. But, may as well work on this problem while it was in the open.

"Well, let's look at the differences here, before you used it on what?" He asked.

"The things in the Danger room," she answered.

"And this time you used it on?"

"Professor Monroe, Storm," she corrected herself, still trying to get used to using code names while people were in costume.

"Maybe it doesn't work on real people," Charles commented, although he was in thought.

"But, I've used it on you and Professor Grey," she negated his hypothesis.

"Hm, that is interesting. Maybe only psychics can feel it, or maybe it's like your object creation power, where it's easier to use by touching," he offered her.

She nodded, but Charles could tell that something was still wrong, she had loosened a little on her hold, though, and he tried to perceive what was wrong. He only got the thought that he had to figure out what the new feeling was soon. He was confused. She was feeling a new feeling? Note worthy news, but she wouldn't talk about it, most likely worried about what it was or how it was going to effect how Kurt thought about her.

She seemed to give less than a shake of salt about what anyone but Kurt or she thought about herself. It was a good thing, though, it meant that she was being herself, and that she was accepting herself, and therefore, going to have less of a problem controlling her powers. "I believe that is our time. I'm sorry, Kerri, but I must attend to other matters, please excuse me." Kerri left and Charles thought about how he could help her figure out what this "new feeling" was without her knowing. She would of course feel if he just tried to see into her mind, and while Logan had become very helpful in helping Kerri adjust to life again, he couldn't picture him talking about feelings to his student.

* * *

Kerri had withdrawn again. She would talk to Kurt or Kitty, even Piotr, when they talked to her, but she hardly said anything on her own, and seemed to be distracted most of the time. She kept brushing it off as being worried about the tests, but Kurt could see that she was hiding behind her once again long bangs.

His heart was so sore that he almost had to chant a mantra about his promise to keep himself from kissing a look back onto her almost blank face.

They walked to the Danger room after lunch and Kurt suddenly stopped, grabbing Kerri's hand and pulling her to a stop, too.

She looked up, question in her eyes, although her expression didn't go much farther than that. "Kerri, please tell me vhat is wrong," he almost begged.

A look of guilt crossed her face, although he couldn't think why she'd feel guilty. "I'm sorry, Kurt, but I keep telling you, nothing's wrong. I'm just stressed about the finals, and I haven't been sleeping well. Also related to the finals," she put in quickly to stop him from asking.

"Aber, liebling, you look so sad."

Kerri smiled, a small smile, but a genuine one. "I'm not sad, Kurt, just tired and stressed."

"Vell, ok..."

They started walking again and arrived at the Danger room. Ororo was standing outside, waiting for them. "We are going to split you two up and go one at a time. Kurt, you are first, when you're ready." They nodded and went into the locker rooms to change.

When Kerri got back to the Danger room doors, she saw Logan leaning there. 'Typical,' she thought with a smile, 'keeping the whole school from falling down.'

"Elf just went in. You're next, Kid, you ready?" He asked the spot on the floor he was looking at.

She shrugged. "How ready can you ever really be. Guess I'll at least stretch first, though."

Logan felt a smile twitch at the corner of his mouth humorously.

They waited for half the period before Kurt and Ororo came through the door as it opened. "Come on, Kid, our turn." Logan pushed off from the wall and walked into the room.

Kurt smiled at Kerri as they passed, and Kerri smiled back at him, glad to see him without his inducer again.

The door closed behind her and Logan as they got ready to fight.

Charles watched from the control room as a few hits were exchanged. She slowly let down her wall as she became more concerned with fighting, and he could feel her emotions starting to seep out. _'Ok, Logan, she's opened a little, bring her to topic,'_ he told him through telepathy.

Logan threw a punch, letting her dodge it so she had a chance to answer him, and asked, "Hey, Kid, what's with you and the Elf?"

Kerri was surprised for a moment, Logan didn't usually talk during training, except to occasionally tell her to do better or how to do something. "I- uh, why?"

Charles could feel the wave of confusion coming from her. _'Good, now try to get her to feel this new feeling,'_ he instructed.

"Hesitation, that means you like him, right?" He threw another punch.

She dodged to the side and tried to kick his feet out from under him, unsuccessfully. "Trying to brush up on your female language?" She laughed derisively, "I'm not gong to be a big help with that."

Charles had felt something from her, a fierce protectiveness._ 'A little deeper,'_ he told Logan.

"I mean that you like him romantically." He said as he easily blocked a kick aimed at his stomach.

Kerri stepped back, just making it out of the way of a nasty punch to the side. "Why, do you?" It had meant to be snide, but the tone drained from her voice, leaving it hollow.

Now she was starting to get lost, wandering in her feelings for Kurt.

_'Good, now let her think,'_ Charles said, opening himself to feel her thoughts and emotions. A confirmation, she did like him romantically. A wonder, what had happened? A fact, they had been dancing... then a new feeling. A question, what was it? A worry, what if it wasn't normal. Refusal, but it felt so nice in that moment... More worry about it not being normal. Then she came to the thought he was waiting for. _'What could it be?'_ He heard her cry out internally, and the feeling gushed out of her. Soft and fluid, like a velvet covered wave on a water bed, filling and warm, like home made bread, tender and heavy, like a pregnant woman's belly, a little pain from questioning what it was and if it was returned by the object causing the emotion.

Shock showed on Charles's face. That was what she was feeling? At seventeen?

He supposed he shouldn't be too surprised, after all, he had just dealt with this situation with Kitty about two years ago, when she was sixteen. And he was fairly sure that Kurt would be feeling the same about Kerri, and he was eighteen, hardly any older.

He also knew that part of the thing that agitated Kerri's powers into motion accidentally was that she didn't know how to communicate her emotions very well, causing a tail to flick, or a canine ear to turn in a way that she associated with the feeling. He'd seen her look shy, once before, with her furry ears back, her shoulder turned just so, and her tail warily down, her eyes shining with nervousness. He supposed it shouldn't be such a stretch for her to not know this feeling, if she either didn't remember feeling it, or had never felt it before. And that was truly sad. Almost eighteen years without feeling love.

_'Suggest the feeling love.'_

Kerri was so wrapped up in her thoughts of Kurt that she missed Logan's face flicker in confusion. He picked her up and tossed her to the floor, making her skid about a foot. She gasped in pain as she landed on her tail and looked up at her teacher.

"Quit sittin' around with that love struck look on your face, and defend yourself, Kid. I ain't goin' easy on ya."

Kerri was surprised at his choice of words. Love struck. Love struck? Love struck, what did that even mean? Her brain picked it apart quickly for her to analyze; love, struck. Struck by love. A passionate or overwhelming feeling of love. Amazing.

Wait, what? Amazing? Love felt amazing?

Love, was that what she was feeling? That unknown feeling driving her mad? Her fingers reached up and unconsciously touched over her heart.

Was it love?

She mentally reached her hand out and touched the tips of her fingers to the unknown emotion._ 'Love?'_ She asked, unsure.

The feeling swelled, then burst around her, finally glad of understanding. Some of the pain dissipated, and a smile grew over face in wonder. Love. She was feeling love. For Kurt. She loved Kurt.

Her smile fell. Wait, she loved Kurt? She was only seventeen, and she loved Kurt. Who was going to graduate in a few weeks and leave. And she was in love with him. Or at him, she didn't know if he loved her back. She might never know.

'Stop, whoa, slow down,' she told herself. 'One thing at a time. Identify mystery feeling; done. It's a normal feeling. Good. Now take a break, worry about the rest later.'

She stood to continue fighting, but the bell rang over head. "Alright, Kid, you're safe for now," Logan told her as he walked out of the danger room.

Kerri was still a little stunned after having found out what her new feeling was. She was smiling and staring into space as she walked through the door to the hallway.

"Kerri, how-" Kurt stopped mid question as he saw her face. Happiness had returned, chasing away her look of sadness. "Liebling, you look so happy," and that made him so happy.

She looked at him, tuning back in to reality, and her heart felt like it was swelling again. She was so happy to see him, especially without his image inducer on.

How had she missed that before? She always felt like this when she saw him. Wasn't that a trademark of being in love? That you could hardly stand to be apart?

She smiled to him, a slight blush sneaking it's way onto her face. "I'm happy to see you, and not your image inducer for once," she teased.

Kurt smiled. "Sorry, liebling, I have to turn es back on." He offered her his hand. "Valk you to class?"

"Yes."


	32. Tests are boring

**[AN: Not much to report here, well, just a bunch of family stuff that's depressing... But, none that's really right to share on the internet, lol. Anyway, I hope the excitement is building, next chapter is the Formal dance!]**

* * *

Kerri knocked on the door to Professor Xavier's office.

"Come in," he said from inside.

She opened the door and walked in, going over to her normal spot on the couch against the wall and curling up on it.

Charles was glad to see that her face was brighter. "I'm glad to see that you are feeling better today," he said open endedly, waiting to see if she'd contribute anything.

She nodded and the half period went on normally, even though she was distracted by thoughts of Kurt, and her new found feelings about him. Now that she knew what they were.

It was the Saturday before the big tests, and Kerri went to the library to study with the others.

Kitty told her when their hair and nail appointments were, and they made a loose plan on breaks in between studying.

"Are you excited, Kitty?" Kerri asked. "Only another day until the tests start, then they'll be over soon."

Kitty looked at her sarcastically. "Sure. So excited."

Kerri sat at the table and helped the other two study, but for some reason, her favorite lines and parts from her books were running through her mind, and she wished she could find a copy of one of them.

She really missed her books. She didn't have much else to her name at her mother's house; a few stuffed animals, blankets, a houseplant that was probably way past dead by now, a few pictures of her dad that she'd hidden, her movies, mostly horror, but a few comedy and anime.

She wasn't sure that she'd ever see any of that stuff again, and she thought back to when she'd left. She had figured that her mom and stepfather wouldn't open up her room again, at least for a long time. Had it been a long time yet? It seemed like an eternity had passed since she had left her room, closing the window behind her. Maybe she should go back and get her things now that she had a stable place to put them...

'Or maybe I should get back to work,' she thought to herself.

The clocked ticked through the library, sounding ten o'clock. Kerri's head was getting closer and closer to the page she was quizzing Kurt and Kitty from. She was almost on the page when Kitty announced that they were done.

"And I think you'd better walk your girlfriend up to bed to make sure she doesn't fall asleep in the hallway," she told Kurt with a laugh.

Kurt and Kerri walked up the stairs, hand in hand. In front of her room Kerri hugged Kurt close. "Thanks for walking me here Kurt," she said, enjoying the feeling it gave her to hold him close.

There was a long pause where they just held each other and Kurt's heart pounded. He wanted to hold her like this forever. His heart ached to tell her that he loved her. He'd almost said it before, almost a week ago, when she'd looked so sad, but he was worried about what she'd say, if she loved him too.

Kitty had told him that she could tell that she did, but he wasn't sure if he believed it.

Right now it felt like she loved him, like their hearts were almost touching again, but what if it was just wishful thinking on his part?

He pulled back a little and looked at her face on his chest. A look of happiness and contentment was spread across it. Was he sure that she didn't love him back? That look suggested that she might...

He suddenly felt the urge to give her everything. Not just tell her he loved her, but give her whatever she wanted. If she wanted him to shave his head, he would, of course she didn't, but he would, if she wanted a million books he'd get them for her, if she wanted him to run down the street naked, he would, if she wanted to see her father again, he'd learn to raise the dead...

Anything, all she had to do was ask and he'd find a way of getting it for her.

A line from an old movie flowed through his head; "What is it you want, Mary? What do you want? The moon? Just say the word and I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down..."

'Hey. Zhat's a pretty good idea. I'll give you zhe moon, Kerri,' he finished the quote thinking of the woman he loved and held in his arms.

"Kerri, I-" He stopped as she pulled away and looked up at him. He could see in her eyes that she was happy to be this close to him, content, expecting nothing from him.

He wanted to give her everything, and she expected nothing.

She was perfect. So wonderfully perfect.

He wasn't going to tell her he loved her.

He was going to give her the moon.

"Kerri," his eyes lingered on her lips, but he resisted the urge to kiss them. "Sleep vell, get enough rest. Zhere vill be tests soon."

He watched her lips turn up into a smile. "You get enough rest, too. You're the one who's going to graduate with these tests." She let go of him and immediately felt lonely, but opened the door to her room anyway. "Goodnight Kurt."

"Ja, gute nacht." He watched her close the door. "Gute nacht, mein herz," he said to the closed door and turned to go to his room. {good night, my heart}

Monday- Tests.

There was a schedule posted so students knew what test they were supposed to take and what class room it would be in. First period was changed to a double period, with a break in between, then the school day went on normally so that there was only one final a day, trying to avoid giving anyone a heart attack.

There was an unnatural quiet around the school, a sort of agreed upon silence of good luck.

Kerri was anxious in the silence, but she seemed to be the only one. She really didn't like silence all that much, but she understood that other people needed it to work.

She took a deep breath and let it out.

Test taking strategy one, breath, think, test, answer, repeat. Not working here.

Test taking strategy two, breath, test, think, answer, repeat. Not working either.

Test taking strategy three, breath, think of something funny and unrelated to the test, laugh silently, breath, test, think, answer, repeat.

Kerri thought about holding onto Kurt in the hall. 'Mmmmm, nice... Wait, no.' She thought, 'something funny to put me at ease...'

She looked around and saw a student biting his thumbnail as he worked on the test.

'Do you bite your thumb at me?' She thought, quoting Romeo and Juliet. 'Is the law with us if I say yes? No. Then no, sir, I bite my thumb sir, but not at you, sir.' She chuckled silently for a second, then turned to her test, feeling more calm and ready to work.

Kurt was looking at his own test, working out the answers. His studying with Kerri had helped a lot, her way of studying and tricking your brain into remembering things was very helpful. He remembered things that he wondered if they had even taught in class.

The bell rang and there was a collective sigh from the students as a break was announced. In the hall there were long tables with juice and cookies, a reward for making it, so far.

They had fifteen minutes for a break, and Kurt wasn't surprised when Kitty found him.

"Hey, Kurt. How are you doing so far?" She asked, coming down the hall toward him.

"Gute, how about you?"

"Good. Math isn't hard, you know, it's just that people are too lazy to do it," she said.

Kurt laughed, "Ja, vhatever you say." He didn't particularly have a hard time with math, he just liked to give her a hard time.

"I can't believe you get high marks in English," she teased back as Scott came into the hall and called everyone back into the classes for the rest of the tests.

Kurt sat down at his desk again and finished his test.

He had a little bit of time left before the bell rang for the next class, so he looked around and pulled out a notebook. He was working on his plan to give Kerri the moon. It wasn't very complicated, he just wanted it to go perfectly, so he wanted to think of everything.

* * *

Kerri wandered the halls of the dorms, not allowed to go to down the school halls. She was confined away from the other students, being the only one without a class right now.

She went to her room and laid on the bed, waiting for class to be over so she could go do something.

A knock at the door woke her. She looked around, seeing the evening light shining in through the window.

Kurt took in Kerri's disheveled appearance as she opened the door, she must have been asleep.

He smiled. "Vould you like to come outside for a valk vizh me?"

Kerri blinked and rubbed her eye. "Sure, let me grab my shoes."

A moment later they were walking along the grass, taking in the colors of the sunset, holding hands.

"Kerri, vhat do you zhink you're going to do after you graduate?" Kurt asked.

"I don't know," she looked at the ground. "I always-" She broke off, looking at the sky.

"You alvays vhat?" Kurt asked.

"Well, I always thought about becoming a vet, but I don't know anymore..."

"Vhy not? You could be a good vet, I zhink." Kurt told her.

She looked at him. "Yeah, but now... Feeling that an animal is in pain and feeling that animal's pain are two different things... It's hard to shut off..."

Kurt stopped walking. He'd never thought of that. He had an image inducer to make it easier for him to go out into the world, and he didn't have to teleport, but Kerri...

She could use an image inducer if she needed to, to hide when she accidentally used her powers, but she couldn't just not feel. He remembered when she'd gotten drunk empathicly. If she could get almost blackout drunk from being around people who weren't even that drunk, he couldn't imagine what it would be like for her to be around someone who was in pain, let alone try to keep a clear head and help them.

"What about you?" She asked him timidly, "are you going to college with Kitty?"

Kurt looked back to her from the ground where his gaze had settled. She looked nervous. Was she afraid of loosing him? That he'd leave her here alone?

"Nein," he told her, and she looked up, hope in her eyes. "I don't know vhat I'm going to do, or vhere I'm going to go, yet, aber, I don't zhink going to college is going to help me decide."

Kerri started walking again. "Oh."

Kurt followed her, this wasn't the way he had planned it. He had wanted to compare her beauty to the moon, tell her she was so beautiful his heart stopped every time he saw her, then take her into his arms and kiss her until they had to pull away for air.

Instead they went back inside and got in some studying for the final the next day.

Tuesday- Tests.

Tests were easier that day; all of the students were getting in the swing of things, find your class on the board, go test, break, finish test, go about business as usual.

After her last class Kerri wandered around again, bored, and unable to go do anything.

She went to her room and drew, ball gowns, hearts, random things that didn't have to do with anything. She started a heart, but the top was too flat to make it as a heart, so she turned it into something else; lips.

She wanted Kurt to kiss her...

She wanted to kiss Kurt...

She wondered if the time would ever come when she would be able to kiss him, like Rouge had assured her, but she had to admit, she did feel a lot less tense about kissing him. Maybe she should try again.

A knock sounded on the door and she went to answer it.

"Hallo," Kurt said from the doorway.

"Hi," Kerri answered with a smile. Maybe she'd get a chance to try sooner than she thought.

They were headed down the stairs to the front door when Kitty caught them. "Kerri! Kerri! Whew, so glad I found you, I knocked on your door, but you weren't there. Anyway, we need to figure out what kind of hair style to do for the formal, and we don't have much time left!"

Kerri bit her lip and looked over at Kurt. "I suppose she's right..."

Kurt smiled. "Don't vorry, liebling, ve can valk later."

Kitty tilted her head at him. "Later? You mean you're going to meet us in the library later to study, right?"

Kerri smiled at Kurt apologetically as she was dragged back upstairs by Kitty. 'So much for my chance of trying to kiss him soon.'

Kerri sat on Kitty's bed as she dragged out a pile of magazines and flopped onto the bed.

"Ok," she said. "Your dress is old-fashioned, what kind of hairstyles did they have back then?"

"Mostly pin curls and half up half down, curls, intricate braids..." Kerri shrugged, trying to think of the ones she'd seen.

Kitty thumbed through the magazines while Kerri looked over her shoulder.

They got through the last one and Kitty told her, "Not a one. I guess we'll have to make something up to tell the hair stylist. Lets get down to the library to study for tomorrow."

Kurt was already waiting for them at the table, and they studied for a few hours before heading to get a good night's sleep for the next day.

Kurt walked Kerri to her room, and they turned at the door.

Kerri tried to get closer to kiss him, but froze for a moment before fumbling into a hug, holding herself close to him. She turned her nose into his neck, enjoying his soft fuzz as it brushed against her skin, and breathed in his smell.

Kerri's breath brushed against Kurt's neck and his heart started beating faster, his breath quickening.

Kerri gathered her courage and was pulling back to try to kiss Kurt again, but he held her close, saying, "Nur noch eine sekunde, bitte..." {Just one more second, please}

Kerri recognized the words one, second, and please, and guessed that he was asking her to stay longer. A smile came over her lips and she buried her nose back into his neck. "Ok."

Wednesday- Tests.

Everyone was in the swing of things and the day passed without problems.

Except for the last period for Kerri, she was so bored, she wandered around but the library and the gym were closed.

She snuck up to the library door and looked around and tried to open the door. It was locked, but she thought she might be able to open it anyway.

She took out her driver's license and stuck it in between the doors and tried to jimmy it.

A throat cleared nearby and she pulled her card out and slipped back into her pocket before she turned around and saw professor Summers standing behind her with his arms folded, a poor mock of Logan's frightening stance.

"What are you doing?" He asked, a tone in his voice of trying to make her confess.

"Just seeing if the library is open," she said.

"With your ID card?"

Kerri was silent.

Scott sighed and turned, walking away. "The library is closed."

Kerri was in her room, studying, when a knock came at the door. 'Is it after class already?' She thought as she crossed the room. She excitedly opened the door, but instead of seeing Kurt, she saw Logan leaning against the door jamb.

"I heard you've been getting into trouble," he commented.

Kerri shifted uncomfortably and looked at him. She still felt like she had to look up, even though he was really a couple of inches shorter than her. Something to do with the authority he radiated and she respected.

"Come on, Kid," he said as he pushed off from the wall and started down the hall. "If you're bored, you could always spar with me."

Kerri followed him down the hall, thinking, 'This sounds like a punishment.'

* * *

Kerri was thrown across the padded floor of the gym again, making that the millionth time this hour.

She realized that Logan must have been toying with her every time they'd ever fought before.

She now realized what a powerful asset to the team he was, and how lucky they were to have him on the same side, and vowed to do everything in her power to make sure they stayed on the same side so she'd never have to fight him again.

Logan walked past her as she got up. "Now get outta here, Kid. Go study so you can pass a test. And when a door's locked, it's locked." He left, muttering, "Don't need that tight ass breathin' down my neck just 'cause you wanna go explore."

Kerri made it to the library to meet with the others to study.

Kurt stood up as she walked in. "Kerri, vhere have you been? I vent to your room after class, aber, you veren't zhere."

She sat down with a wince, wondering if she was going to have bruises tomorrow. "I was caught trying to get into the library by Scott."

Kitty looked up at her. "What? Why wouldn't he let you into the library?"

"It was locked." Kerri admitted.

"So, what did he do? You've been missing for a while. Did you get detention?" Kitty asked.

"No, worse. I guess he told Logan, and Logan thought it was prudent to tell me that a locked door means stay out."

Kurt and Kitty raised their eyebrows, and Piotr said, "I've never seen Logan just tell anybody anything."

Kerri nodded. "Yeah, he did it by making me his sparring partner for the afternoon."

Even Piotr winced at this.

"Bet you aren't going to do zhat again anytime soon," Kurt commented.

Kerri nodded in agreement, and they started studying.

Meanwhile, Kurt worried about his plan to make a memorable and romantic moment to tell Kerri that he loved her.

He spent most of the time staring at her while they studied, but came up with a plan; he had to talk to Kitty.

Thursday- Tests.

In fourth period, Kurt started asking Kitty questions. What was the most romantic moment she could think of, what made it memorable, were flowers better than chocolate?

"I hate to tell you this, again, Kurt, but it really depends on the woman. And the time of the month for that last one..." She giggled as he blushed. "Now, we both know that you're talking about Kerri, why don't you go ask her?" She caught a thought. "Unless, you're trying to make it super special... Like lose your V-Card special?" Her voice rose in pitch as she questioned. "What are you thinking? Where are you going to do it? Are you excited or nervous?" She giggled more.

Kurt blushed and stuttered, "Nein, Kitty, no, es nicht, it's not like zhat. I vanted to plan somezhing special because... I'm going to tell her zhat I love her."

Kitty tilted her head back and looked at the ceiling. "Ohmigod, Kurt, you are so romantic! I'll help any way I can. Now, to get started, the formal would be a good chance to do it. It's already romantic, and well lit, and you'll be looking good in a tux..." She trailed off as she thought.

"Zhere's vone ozher zhing..." Kurt said a bit nervously.

"What's that?" Kitty asked, ready to tackle it head on.

"Mein hair... I vant to cut es, aber, I don't know how to do it, und, if I vent to zhe barber..." It would be a different color when it fell to the floor, not to mention that they'd have to touch him, and he'd probably be found out as a mutant.

"Don't worry, I've got you covered." Kitty told him.

Friday went well; it was finally the last day of tests, and one day before the dance, with Kerri finally being calm enough that she could make her tail disappear.

Kitty handed Kurt a few papers after classes. "This is the plan as it stands, I took what you already had, and everything you told me and sorted it out into this. There is also a list on the side here of the things you need to prepare tonight, and where everything will be when you need it. Piotr will be with you all morning, I've told him what's going on, in case you need help, and you have my number, of course. Now go be with the love of your life for a little bit before bed, and remember, hanky panky tonight will only make it weird if you tell her you love her tomorrow."

Kurt blushed and waved back as Kitty walked away. 'Hanky panky,' Kurt thought with a laugh. It wasn't like he was a sex starved, hormone ridden, teenage virgin...

Oh, wait; he was a sex starved, hormone ridden, teenage virgin...

But, he was also a gentleman, and he'd never press his advantage on Kerri.

Even if all he had to do was say please, and she melted like butter.

He found her outside, looking up at the stars. "May I join you?"

Kerri smiled. "Only if you sit next to me."

Kurt sat down and scooted so close that his leg was pressing against hers. He leaned over so their sides touched, too. "Is zhis close enough?" He asked teasingly.

Her lips parted and she took a few breaths as her heart immediately started pounding in her chest. Kurt saw the look in her eyes and realized he'd made a mistake. Her eyes were almost begging for him to kiss her on her soft, tender, tantalizing lips, and they were so close-

No. He only had to wait one more day, then he would, hopefully, be able to kiss her brains out whenever he saw her.

He smiled and leaned away. "May I put my arm around you?" Kerri nodded and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

She cuddled close to his side and told him, "You're such a tease."


	33. The Formal, with tuxes & gowns & stuff

**[AN: Here it is, the chapter you've been waiting for for a week! lol. I hope you enjoy it, please feel free to review, message, or just read, and since no one's probably reading this anyway, enjoy!]**

* * *

Kerri woke up to a knock on her door. She had a moment of being disoriented, then realized what was going on.

It was Saturday. The formal dance was today. She was going to go to a dance and dance with the boy- man?- boy... She loved.

She couldn't decide what to call him. She had felt like they were so young when she first met him, but with the way he'd been acting now...

He reminded her more of a man than a boy, and she herself felt older, too. She'd always felt like she was more mature than most of the kids her age, but this was different; not just mature, but grown up and adult like.

What a difference half a year could make.

Another knock sounded on the door, and Kerri looked around. 'What time is it?' She thought as she rolled out of bed, pulling down the shirt she'd worn yesterday to almost cover her underwear, then checked her clock. Ten o'clock, and she was guessing am, since she wasn't at the dance.

"Kerri, are you in here?" Kitty called through the door, but didn't phase through it, surprisingly.

"Yeah, just a second," Kerri made her way to the door and opened it to see Kitty and Kurt standing there. Her jaw dropped and she immediately closed the door, a little harder than was necessary.

She was only wearing a shirt and her panties. And Kurt had just seen them. Maybe.

She held on to that maybe.

Kurt stood in the hall, staring at the door in front of him in shock. Kerri... With no pants on...

'Ja, bitte...' He thought as his thoughts started trying to spiral down into the gutter. {yes please}

He shook his head and got a hold on himself.

Kerri ran to the bed and grabbed her jeans and bra from the heap she'd thrown them in last night as she tiredly got ready for bed.

She hooked her bra and was pulling up her pants as she walked to the door. "Oh, wait, shirt..." She mumbled, walking to the closet and grabbing the first one she saw and changing it.

Kurt had almost complete control over himself before Kerri opened the door, running a hand through her hair.

"Hi, uh, good morning..."

Kitty smiled to her. "Grab your dress bag and bring your stuff to my room so we can get ready there later."

"Ok," she went to the closet and grabbed her stuff, following Kitty and Kurt down the hall to Kitty's room.

She was about to walk in, but Kitty took the bag from her. "I've got it from here, be right back," she said as she went into her room to deposit the things.

Kerri blushed and bit her lip, but Kurt grabbed her hand and pulled her around. "I have to go vizh Piotr to get ready for zhe dance, I just vanted to say good morning," he was slowly getting closer with every word, and by this point his chest was almost against hers. "Und, zhat I am very much looking forward to seeing you zhis evening." He put one large finger under her chin and leaned forward, brushing his lips along her jaw.

Kerri stood there frozen, her heart pounding and her breath coming fast. She scarcely had the brain power to mutter, "Tease," to him before he teleported away, leaving her hand outstretched behind him.

Kitty nudged her shoulder, making Kerri turn quickly, her tail flicking out behind her. She took a breath and pushed her tail away.

"Oh, what happened to you?" Kitty asked suggestively.

"N-nothing, Kurt just said good morning, and that he had to go with Piotr to get ready for the dance..." Kerri denied.

Kitty looked her up and down, but didn't challenge her. "Ok. Are you ready to go get ready for the dance?"

"Sure," Kerri told her, happy that she wasn't being interrogated.

"To the spa!" Kitty declared, and they left.

* * *

Kerri had never felt so smooth in her live, nor ever at such a price. "That was horrible, I'm never doing that again."

Kitty giggled. "Oh Kerri, don't give up that easily, it's only wax."

"That rips off every follicle of hair on your being, and of half your skin!" Kerri cried.

"Come on, you sit in slasher flicks without making a sound, but you scream your head off about getting waxed? Are you sure you're a girl?" Kitty teased.

"Right now I'm a very red skinned, but smooth, girl. I don't know how you could get all that other stuff waxed, my legs and armpits was enough," Kerri mumbled.

"You should have let them do your eyebrows," Kitty told her.

"I like my eyebrows..." Kerri reached up and touched them.

Kitty laughed as they got into the car.

They had to go back to the school and wash down to get any remaining wax off, just to be sure, Kitty said, but Kerri suspected it was to wash off any blood left from ripping off all the hair and skin from her legs.

Kitty gave her some special lotion that was supposed to be really good for after waxing, and she rubbed it on all over her legs and arms.

They left again, this time to the hair salon.

Kitty talked hair styles with the lady while Kerri sat in the chair and they moved her hair around.

"Kind of mostly up, and all curled, but a few down... Like, have you seen that movie, um, Interview with a vampire?" Kitty momentarily acknowledged Kerri, "that's the right time period, right?"

Kerri nodded yes and the hair stylist nodded in understanding. "Yeah, so up like this," she pulled all of Kerri's hair up and twisted it a little so it was piled on her head, then pulled a few strands loose from the bottom. "With a couple down like this." Kitty nodded, approving it, then went over to her hair stylist.

Kerri liked the feeling of the lady washing her hair, scratching her scalp in a way that she somehow couldn't replicate by herself, but she had to concentrate on not letting her ears or tail slip. They didn't need her tail to start wagging around in ear scratch heaven.

Then Kerri sat in a chair for about an hour while the lady blow dried her hair. Then Kitty sat under the blow dryer chair as the lady put rollers in her hair. Then Kerri had so much hair product put into her hair she thought she'd tip over, but it was all strangely light, and she sat in the dryer for a while.

When all of the rollers were taken out of her hair and she caught sight of herself in the mirror, she was shocked to find that she had a head full of shiny, beautiful ringlets that caused her to loose almost five inches in length.

The lady pulled a few of the bottom strands of hair out and put them aside before starting on the rest.

She combed it on top, and twisted it up, getting it all mostly pinned to her head, but letting some of them fall loose, making her have a bouquet of curls on top of her head and letting them trickle down her back, trimming her bangs and making them frame her eyes.

Kitty had been finished for a while, her hair up in a large sophisticated bun with a few curled strands trailing out, and came over when the hair stylist motioned for her.

"Beautiful," Kitty approved, and they moved on to getting their nails done.

Kitty got a whole set of fake nails, but Kerri just wanted as close to her normal nails as possible, so she didn't accidentally scratch anyone.

The nail tech gave her a nice manicure, and ended by painting a french manicure, but sealing it with a glitter topcoat, giving it just a little sparkle.

Kitty got hers finished to match her dress, of course, and they were soon leaving.

* * *

Kurt sat nervously in the chair in the back room of the barber shop.

Kitty had said that the woman here was her friend, and she could be trusted, but he was still nervous.

The woman came back to him with a set of trimmers and attachments, and covered him with the bib. She asked him how he wanted his hair, running her fingers through it, even though he flinched a few times.

"None of that when I get started," she said, "or it'll be uneven. Ok, I think I've got an idea, are you ready?" Kurt nodded, but she didn't do anything. "You have to turn off your, what did Kitty call it? Image maker?"

Kurt took a breath as his heart started pounding, but this was all planned. He needed to trust Kitty. He turned it off, and the lady got to work, although she did stare at him a bit.

She shaved the back short, and got rid of a great deal of the rest of it, trimming it so that it could still just fall into his eyes in the front, but that it was short enough that it could stand up.

When she was done, she showed him how to put some product in it and make it stand up, giving him a small sample sized tube.

When he was completely finished, he turned on his inducer and walked out to the front to meet Piotr.

"It looks good," Piotr told him.

"Ja, but I'm so itchy! Good zhing ve did zhis early enough zhat I can still take a shower."

* * *

Kitty and Kerri sat in Kitty's room while Kitty dug out a clutch and picked out the colors of the make up she was going to use. She looked at the clock.

"I'm going to go grab us a sandwich or something, so we won't be hungry at the dance. They only have little snacks, and you look like a pig if you try to eat enough of them to get full," Kitty laughed.

"Uh, ok," Kerri said awkwardly, unsure of what to do with herself.

"I'll be right back, look through the make up and see if you can find any that you like." Kitty went through the door, acting like everything was normal, but instead of going to the kitchen, she hurried to Kurt's room.

Looking around, she knocked on the door. "Kurt, it's me, I'm here to see if you need anything."

Kurt opened the door, wearing only a pair of pants. "Ja, I could use some helfin mit my hair."

Kitty saw that his hair was poking out in all directions from the top of his head.

"Wow, it's been a long time since I've seen you with short hair. Ok, let me see what's going on with it. That means you have to turn off your Image inducer, Kurt," She told him when he just stood in front of her.

"Oh, ja," he pushed the button and let her see his hair.

"Ok, first of all, what is all this stuff?" Kitty poked his hair.

"Hair gel, I believe..." Kurt blushed.

"Ok, second of all, water and a comb, and a brush." She wet his hair and combed it to loosen it up, also to pull a lot of the gunk out of his hair, then dried it and used flicks of the brush and comb to get it all facing the same way and stand forward instead of all over.

It still rebelled a little bit, but it was cute, so Kitty left it alone. "Ok, done. Now I better get back to Kerri before she suspects something. See you at the dance."

Kitty disappeared, phasing through the floor and made her way into the kitchen.

She washed her hands and grabbed some chips and uncrustable pb&js, then she hurried back to her room and phased through the door to see Kerri looking at the make up scattered on the floor.

"Find anything you like?" She asked, trying to act normal.

"I- I, uh," Kerri blushed. "I don't really know that much about make up... Or how to use it..."

Kitty giggled and they ate while she taught Kerri about the different make ups, and a few basic techniques. "And then, if you want a smokey eye, you do the light one, then the darker one, then around right here, you do the really dark one. And cat eye eye liner is in big right now."

Kerri sucked her fingers, licking the salt off, then remembered that she had nail polish on, and pulled her finger out, checking that her polish was ok, then licked it again.

Kitty's eyes widened and she looked at Kerri seriously. "Kerri, whatever you do, don't do that at the dance..."

Kerri looked up at her, her tongue still on her finger. "I know, it's rude, but I figured that we were alone-"

"No," Kitty interrupted. "If you do that, people will think you want to..." Kitty paused, trying to think of a way to say it delicately. "That you want to lick something else... On a boy... You know..."

Kerri's eyes widened. "Oh! No, no way!"

"You seriously weren't doing that on purpose?" Kitty questioned.

"No, my hands were salty, I wasn't trying to do anything." She still looked shocked as she wiped her hands off on her shirt.

'Wow,' Kitty thought. 'Kurt had better watch out, she doesn't even know she's doing sexy stuff...'

They got in the underwear for their dresses and Kitty did their make up, giving herself a smoky eye with a cat eye liner, and highlighted Kerri's eyes, making them look bigger, and highlighting her cheekbones a little to make her face brighter and look cuter when she blushed, as she thought Kerri would be doing quite a bit tonight.

Kitty got dressed first and Kerri helped her tie and zip herself in, then they pulled the dark green fabric over Kerri's head, positioning it so it covered her strapless bra, and buttoning, then tieing her in, the straps just resting on the edges of her shoulders and the bodice skin tight.

Kitty was pulling the skirt down to cover the puffy underskirt when Kerri started tapping her foot and wringing her hands.

Kitty looked up. "I'm going as fast as I can, Kerri, I don't want to rip it."

"Oh, sorry, I'm not impatient. Just... Trying not to bite my lip, the lip stuff, you know..." Kerri looked at the floor nervously.

Kitty looked up at her from her bent position. "You look great, Kerri."

"Really? I mean, do I really?" Kitty looked at her in confusion as she held up her skirt a little. "Not like a pig in a wedding dress?"

Kitty's eyes squinted in confusion. "Kerri, you're not fat."

"No, like, I mean, beautiful dress, ugly animal..." Kerri looked at the ground.

Kitty rolled her eyes. "Kerri, you look gorgeous, look for yourself," she turned her to the vanity mirror, and Kerri looked up, surprised by her reflection.

She was pretty, very pretty.

Kitty held the choker they'd bought, a green velvet ribbon with a hanging green bead, in front of her and clasped it together in the back. The bead only hung down about an inch, but it was still pretty. Kitty got a thick green hair ribbon and stuck her fingers through the twisted part in Kerri's hair, pulling the ribbon through and making a large bow that added a little color to her hair, even though it was mostly covered by it, then stuck a couple of flowers into the curls, and added a few to her bun as well.

Kerri felt pretty. Amazingly pretty.

"I told you you look great." Kitty said, looking at the clock. "Ok, I think it's time to go. Don't want to keep the boys waiting."

Kurt stood in the entrance hall in his tuxedo, waiting for Kerri and Kitty with Piotr. There were only a couple other students in the area, but Kurt was nervous for what was coming.

"Just stick vizh zhe plan," he told himself, fidgeting with his bow tie, and Piotr put a hand on his shoulder reassuringly. He looked up at the tall Russian. "Zhanks," he said, but Piotr only nodded.

Kitty and Kerri walked along the wall towards the stairs. "We're late, I can hear the music already," Kerri said.

"It's ok, perfection takes time, I'm sure the boys will understand," Kitty told her, even though she had really been stalling.

It was all a part of the plan.

They reached the staircase that curved to run along the wall, and Kitty turned to Kerri. "Ok, let me go down first, then you come down, ok? Don't want to trip on my skirt," Kitty giggled.

"Yeah, that wouldn't be fun," Kerri said, nervous again about her appearance. She was pretty, but did she look too different from herself? Did she deserve to be this pretty?

She shook her head slightly, making her curls bounce as she tried to clear all the crazy questions from her mind; it was fine.

She watched Kitty walk to the railing and start down the curving stairs.

Kurt saw Kitty coming down the stairs, and his chest felt tight, Kerri was here, now they'd find out if the plan would work... If she loved him back...

Kitty gave him a pat on the shoulder and Piotr took her hand on his arm. "You look beautiful," he said as they walked down the hall to the ballroom.

Kurt looked around, there were only two or three more students in the hall, but now was the time. 'Follow zhe plan,' he thought, and pressed the button on his image inducer to turn it off, standing and waiting nervously for Kerri. He looked up at the stairs, she still wasn't coming down, in fact he couldn't see her at all from where he was. 'Is somezhing wrong?' He worried.

Kerri adjusted the black flats she'd gotten to wear so she could still be an inch or so shorter than Kurt. She stood up, her heart was pounding and she was desperately trying not to eat the stuff Kitty had put on her lips. It was a stain, but it would still come off if she chewed her lips.

She looked at the railing across from her as she stood close to the wall. All she could see was stairs, all that stood between her and Kurt was stairs...

Her foot started tapping nervously, and her hands twisted around each other.

_"Always be comfortable being yourself,"_ her father's voice echoed in her head. She paraphrased the conversation she'd had with him about the cat ear headband aloud, "and if that's how you want to dress, then that's part of who you are."

She took a breath to calm down, a line from Ever After running through her head, the part where Cinderella was about to walk through a crowd to the prince at the masquerade. 'Just breath,' she thought as she took another breath.

She walked to the edge of the stairs. She held the front of her dress so she didn't trip over the hem, and started down the stairs.

Kurt could see her coming, the deep green fabric of her dress, then he could see her.

Her skirt swished around her feet, having a swirling silver pattern moving up and around it, narrowing at the waist and making decorative folds around her stomach, the top was decorated with a line of the same silver swirls across the fullest part of her breasts, covering, but leaving a view of cleavage, the sleeves, if you could call them that, looked like they were more like laying decoratively on her shoulders instead of holding the dress up. Her hair was a pile of curls hanging around her neck with a ribbon hiding in it that matched her dress, and a few flowers peeking out.

She was beautiful, more than beautiful. Amazing. Like a star fallen to earth.

His heart was beating like it was trying to jump-start a car, and his breath was frozen in his chest. All he could do was stand still and stare at her as she came down.

Kerri didn't look up from the stairs as she descended, nervous about tripping, and the look she'd find on Kurt's face, if she looked up.

'-Step, step, step, floor,' she counted to herself and let her skirt fall straight. She took a step forward and looked up, her eyes scanning for a second before she saw Kurt standing across the area from her, and in that moment, Kurt felt like his heart cracked from her beauty.

"Schonheit," he mumbled in amazement. {beauty, loveliness, elegance}

Kerri looked at Kurt, in his tuxedo, with his new haircut, which she couldn't help but think was sexy, with no hologram.

'Man,' she thought to herself. 'I wasn't sure before, but he is definitely a man, not a boy.' She stood frozen, still the half the room away, unsure if she was a woman or a little girl in her princess's dress with all of her curls.

"Kerri," Kurt said, holding his hand out to her, intending to tell her she looked beautiful, but his breath and words stalled in his chest.

She felt her heart swell and a delicate smile grew over her lips as she crossed the room to him and took his hand.

"Are you ready to dance?" He asked.

"Mm-hm," Kerri nodded, her eyes roving over his hair.

"Do you like es?" He asked nervously.

"Can-" Kerri's hand came up slightly. "Can I touch it?"

"Ja," Kurt told her.

Her hand went to the back of his head and moved across his hair, then she rubbed her hand around in a circle and a smiled came to her mouth.

He had the urge to lean forward and kiss her, but he resisted. 'Just a little longer...' "Gute?" He asked nervously.

She nodded. "Nice."

A relieved smile spread across his face. "Ready to dance now?"

"Ok," she said, and they walked down the hall a short ways to the door of the ballroom.

They found a spot with enough room to dance, on the fringes of the densest part of the crowd.

Kurt took her hand and they took the form, an arms length apart, and started dancing, leaning back and forth to the music, since it wasn't good waltz music.

A few songs passed as Ororo and Hank watched them sway to the music from the wall a distance away.

"Rouge confirmed that they still haven't kissed, although I'm not sure how she knows, it's been long enough since Kerri told her that," Ororo told her companion.

"Like a fine wine, it will come to fruition, aged to perfection." Hank chuckled.

"Like your fondness for obscure quotes, Dr. McCoy?" Ororo asked.

"Precisely," he said and chuckled again.

"I thought you said that they were practicing the waltz?" Hank nodded and she continued, "correct me if I'm wrong, but that doesn't look like the waltz to me."

"No, it's the wrong music. There are different types of waltzes, but there's not enough room to do a fast one in here, they'd be running into people everywhere."

Kurt asked Kerri, "Vould you like a drink?"

"Sure," she answered, they walked to the refreshment table, where Kitty and Piotr found them.

"Hey, we should go get pictures done!" Kitty said excitedly. "You know, hold on to the moment forever!"

Kerri blushed as Kurt turned to her and asked, "Vhat do you zhink?"

She thought about it, and the thought of having a picture and being able to look at him whenever she wanted sounded wonderful. "Yes, but only if you keep your hologram off," she told him.

"Of course, liebling, I vas going to anyvay," he told her.

They waited in line and talked about the decorations and other things while the lights flashed as the couples in front of them got their pictures taken.

When they got to the front, Kitty and Piotr went first, then Kitty insisted that they get a group one before Kerri and Kurt got theirs done, so they crowded in and the camera flashed.

"Two poses, first let's have you stand here, and you here," the photographer told them, almost nonplussed by Kurt's appearance, being a mutant himself, and had them stand turned to each other with her hand on his shoulder. "Smile, and one, two, three." The lights flashed and Kerri was momentarily blind.

"Alright, one more, let's do another pose." He had them stand facing the same way and turned slightly with Kurt slightly behind her, with an arm around her, his hand on her shoulder, and his other hand on her hip, her hand on his. "Ok, smile, and one, two-"

Kurt pulled his hand from her hip, she had half a second to wonder what was going on before his fingers caught her chin and held it while he planted a kiss on her cheek.

"-Three." A flash blinded her surprised eyes. The photographer smiled. "That will be a cute picture."

Kerri blushed as they walked out of the shooting area.

"That's going to be so cute!" Kitty exclaimed.

"Ja, don't you zhink?" Kurt asked her, and she blushed more.

"Let's go get more drinks and taste the snacks," Kitty suggested, and they wandered over to the refreshments table again.

They spent some time sitting together at one of the small tables off to the side by the refreshments table, then Kitty suddenly said, "Here comes Scott, we'd better disappear for a bit." She and Piotr got up and wandered off, getting lost in the cluster of people, except that Piotr's head was above almost everyone.

Kerri laughed out loud, her mirth spilling forth, but she caught herself and stopped, putting a hand by her mouth.

"Vhy did you stop laughing?" Kurt asked her.

Kerri blushed lightly and told him, "Because my laugh is stupid."

Kurt took her hand away from her mouth and told her, "Nein, it's not, it is beautiful, like you."

Kerri blushed silently next to him, but she didn't pull away.

"Vould you like to dance some more?" He asked.

"Ok," she said, and they made their way back to their spot on the edges of the big tangle of people dancing.

They took each other's hands, his other going to her hip and hers going to his shoulder.

They started dancing, swaying to the end of the song that was playing, then a slow song came on, and they started a slow waltz.

Hank nudged his companion. "They're back, and waltzing."

Ororo nodded. "Good, did you see what he did at the photo booth?"

Hank chuckled as he nodded, "Indeed."

Kerri's breath seemed to be heavy in her chest. This was so nice, the only thing that would make it better would be if they were closer.

Apparently Kurt thought so, too, because mid step his hand tightened on her hip and she was suddenly against him.

She glanced up at him without turning her chin up and smiled shyly. He returned her smile and his arm wrapped around her waist.

She couldn't keep the smile off of her mouth, and her heart was beating faster. She put her cheek on his shoulder, her face turned to his chest, and her arm snaked up around his shoulder.

Kurt wrapped his arm so it was behind her shoulder and felt like his heart was beating so fast it would explode. She was so close. Right there in his arms, fitting so perfectly, even with his image inducer off. His tail curled and uncurled, unsure of where to go with the big skirt in the way of her leg. He squeezed her a little tighter, and his shoulder felt a vibration as she hummed happily.

Kerri was so happy to be here, she forgot about the rest of the world, the other students, the ballroom, there was only her, Kurt, and the music.

'Now,' a voice in her mind said. 'Now?' She asked, and it confirmed, 'now.'

Now was perfect. She lifted her head, tilting her chin up a little.

Kurt blinked down at her. She was staring up at him, was it the time? He wanted to kiss her all the time now, so it was hard to tell.

Her eyebrows turned down in worried confusion.

Was it time? He tilted his face closer, and her smile returned as she tilted her chin up a little more, but left room for him to take the lead.

It was the time. Now was the time!

His heart felt like it was about to burst with excitement and hunger for her lips.

He took a breath. 'Beruhigen, langsam,' he instructed himself. {Calm down, slowly}

His hand trailed along her shoulder as it moved up to cup the back of her head. 'Gently,' he thought, 'gently.'

He closed the inch between them, their eyes closing to capture the feeling of this moment.

He softly pressed his lips against hers as he held her close.

There were no fireworks, that was just an old wives tale, or a misunderstood metaphor to try to explain how it felt.

Kerri decided that Rouge's thought of drinking hot cocoa on a cold day was closer to the truth as a warm tingling feeling spread through her lips.

She wasn't pulling away. Kurt almost couldn't believe it; his image inducer was off, and he kissed her, and she wasn't pulling away. His tail tried to wrap around her leg, but only made it over her dress and pressed against her. He was so happy. He pressed a little closer to her lips and heard her let out a small moan.

Kurt's lips pressed closer to hers, and a new feeling came. Now it wasn't just tingles, now she could feel him breathing the same air she'd breathed, and she breathed the air he'd breathed, like they were sharing the same existence for a moment. The closeness was amazing, and her hand clutched at his tuxedo's lapel, while the other one tried to close around the fabric on his shoulder.

Kerri forgot about everything now, even the music. This moment was only held by her and Kurt.

It seemed like it lasted forever, but too soon Kurt pulled away, trying to keep his thoughts and body in check.

Kerri looked up at him with passion hazed eyes, her mouth turning up in a dreamy smile. As soon as it came it left, though, and her face seemed down.

"Vhat? Vhat's wrong?" Kurt asked nervously.

"I- I waited so long..." Kurt felt his stomach dropping, fearing she hadn't liked it. "I couldn't do that for so long, but, we could have been doing that all the time!"

Kurt's smile returned. "Ja?"

Kerri nodded. "Yeah," she blushed. "In fact, maybe-"

"Arms length, you two," Scott said disapprovingly, waiting to make sure they complied before he walked past.

As soon as he was out of eye sight Kerri pressed herself against him again, looking in the direction Scott had gone defiantly.

Kurt laughed. "Vhat is your problem vizh Scott?"

Kerri looked back to him. "I don't know, he just gets on my nerves, ever since I got here."

Kurt was smiling, still on a happy buzz from the kiss. "Do you vant to go outside to cool off?"

"Ok." Kerri smiled.

They walked out of the room to go outside while Hank and Ororo celebrated the two of them finally finding each other.

Kerri and Kurt found a bench by the doors that hadn't been there before, but Kerri didn't complain as they sat together and looked up at the stars and the moon.

"Beautiful," Kurt commented, looking at Kerri as she stared at the stars.

"It is, it's so bright, too, almost a full moon," she commented back.

"I meant you, liebling," Kurt said, and she turned to him, smiling shyly.

Kurt's hand went to her jaw, he was going to tell her he loved her, but, he was still too nervous, his lips refused to make the words...

Maybe if he loosened them up with another kiss, it would come out easier...

"Zhere is more to kissing zhan just putting your lips togezher, you know," Kurt said as he looked into Kerri's eyes.

Her chin dipped to the side slightly. "I know..."

"If you vant," his face was getting closer, and she was leaning in, too. "I could..."

"Show me..." Kerri said, just as their lips met.

Kurt started by just pressing his lips against hers, but then he nudged her bottom lip, and her lips parted.

He made the kiss deeper, his tongue slipping in and coaxing hers out. He was careful not to bite her with his larger teeth as he kissed her, trying to show her that kissing was a good thing.

Kerri's breath came faster. This was different, not slow and warm, but electric and exciting, a far cry from the nasty wet experience she'd had in the past. Her hand clutched at him, sliding under his jacket and around to his back to hold his shirt, and her other hand was holding the lapel of his jacket, trying to keep him close.

Kurt's hand was holding her jaw, while the other was wrapped around her back, keeping her against him.

It was wonderful, it was perfect.

He had to tell her he loved her.

He pulled away, intent on telling her, still holding her head in his hand, but one look at her again passion hazed eyes and her kiss swollen lips, and the only thing he could do was dive right back in, kissing her until they had to come out for air.

Kerri panted slightly as she laid her head on his shoulder, still holding on to him as he held her close.

'I love you,' she thought to him. 'I love him. I should tell him I love him.'

They sat like that for a moment before Scott approached them. "You two, again, what are you doing?"

Kerri looked up at him. "Just sitting here."

"In a way that wouldn't embarrass you if you did it in front of a crowd of people?" Scott asked.

Kerri nodded. "Yes," she said defiantly.

"Kurt, I would expect better from you." He just shook his head at Kerri. "Kerri, Kurt, get inside to bed, the dance is over."

They stood and went inside, Scott passing them at the doorway.

There were students streaming out of the ballroom and up to the stairs, headed toward their rooms, already excitedly chatting about the night.

Kurt turned to Kerri. "I didn't mean for us to get into trouble, I'm sorry, liebling-"

"I'm not," Kerri said, looking defiantly after Scott. "I'm not embarrassed." She looked at him. "And I wouldn't be if kissed you in front of a crowd of people, either."

Kurt looked a little unsure and Kerri asked him, "you don't believe me?"

Kurt hesitated. "Vell, I-"

But he didn't get the rest out as Kerri grabbed his face and pressed her mouth to his. Her lips pulled away from the clumsy kiss for a second to say, "never," then kissed him again as several of the students walked past to the stairs, making embarrassing "Woot woot!" noises.

Kerri pulled away again, looking over to the crowd of people walking past, making Kurt look too. "Believe me now?"

Kurt mumbled, "nie ein zweifel in meinem kopf wieder." {never a doubt in my mind again}


	34. Kitty's turn

**[AN: Making dresses, making dresses, making dreeeeessses... Ok, enough of my singing from beloved Halloween/Christmas musicals and onto putting out this chapter, then back to making my dress... Anyway, I hope you enjoy it! Please feel free to comment, vote, message, or just read!]**

* * *

Monday, Danger room finals started today.

Kurt wasn't scheduled until Friday, so he got to have a mostly normal week, worrying about his test scores and the danger room test, waiting for his turn.

He was going to meet Kerri in the gym to practice fighting, but he was nervous. He still hadn't told her that he loved her, and he was running out of time, graduation and the thought of leaving were hovering in front of him like a large dark hole of the unknown.

Kitty met him as he walked out of drama. "Ok, Kurt, we haven't had much time to talk alone, but now we have a minute, so tell me before I die, did you tell her?!"

Kurt looked up at her guiltily. She'd helped him set it up so wonderfully. "N-nein..."

"N-nine, what do you mean, n-nine?" Kitty looked at him like he was crazy. "After all that planning, too. Well, when are you going to tell her?"

Kurt already felt bad, now he felt worse as he admitted, "I don't know..."

Kitty stopped. "Well, I want to at least hear about it when you do. I'll see you later."

Kurt continued to the gym, and found Kerri already there, in a pair of skin-tight aerobics pants and a tank top that was low enough in the back that her wings could come out without destroying it.

He went to the locker rooms and changed, then came out to meet her. "Hallo, Kerri."

She blushed at him, but smiled. "Hi, Kurt. Ready to get your butt kicked?"

Kurt felt a little more at ease. "I know English isn't my first language, aber, I zhink you said zhat backwards, liebling."

"You mean, you're going to get your butt kicked, are you ready?" Kerri teased.

"Nein, I meant zhat you are going to get your butt kicked," he teased her back.

"I said that already, twice; you're going to get your butt kicked," Kerri teased him again.

They started sparing, slowly at first, then at real speed.

"What would you do if you fought someone who was flying?" Kerri asked as she threw a punch at him.

"Vell, I vould teleport up to zhem, und bring zhem down," Kurt told her, dodging instead of blocking.

Kerri scoffed teasingly as she ducked to avoid a high kick, "I'd like to see you try to do that with me."

"Ok zhen, I vill," Kurt told her. He felt like he was just having fun with her, not training, but no one knew what was on the test, any kind of training he did might help.

Kerri looked up at the ceiling "Not in here, it's too close."

"Ja, you are just afraid zhat I vill beat you," Kurt teased, grabbing her arm and throwing her to the ground softly.

Kerri looked up at him and asked, "besides, we aren't supposed to use our powers in here, are we? That's what the danger room is for, right?"

Kurt laughed. "I supose you are right, liebling."

He leaned to help her up, but when she took his offered hand, she threw him over her head and somersaulted backward to land on top of him. She started tickling him on his ribs and armpits. "How about you try to get out of this!" She said as he tried to buck her off.

"Nein, nein! Zhat tickles! Aufhoren! Cheater!" Kurt cried out, trying to wiggle and knock her off, his tail lashing back and forth around them. "I vill get avay!" {stop}

"Go ahead and teleport, Kurt, I'll only come with you to tickle you more!"

"Kid," Logan said loud enough for them to hear. "Take the Elf and go play outside, this is a gym."

"Yes, Logan," Kerri called back. "You heard him, we're in trouble, we have to go outside to play," she told Kurt laughingly and helped him up.

They got outside and Kerri pulled off her shoes and socks, shifting into her battle form. She leaped into the air, gaining height before calling down, "Ok, Kurt, try and get me."

Kurt looked up at her, she was just at the edge of his teleporting range, he'd have to make two jumps. He teleported, appearing right below her, but when he teleported again, she had dropped twelve feet, making it impossible for him to touch her.

"Try again," she called.

He was falling, and teleported to where she would be, but by the time he arrived, she was five feet to the left. They went like this for a while, until Kerri had almost no more air between her and the ground. She had to start climbing again, and he caught up to her.

Kerri turned her wings, flapping to get higher, but Kurt appeared right in front of her.

He landed against her side as she tried to stop from running into him. "AHH!" She cried as he wrapped his limbs around to catch her.

"I've got you, liebling," he said.

"Is that so?" She asked, turning into a sideways dive, gaining speed and turning in a close circle, using the centrifical force to slingshot herself straight up. The wind buffeted them, ruffling hair and feathers, but Kerri made it above the tree tops.

Kurt looked down. "Liebling, I zhought you vere afraid of heights?"

"Not right now, how could I be afraid of heights when it's wonderful to be this high? Otherwise what's the point of having wings?" She asked, coasting with him hanging onto her. "I though you were going to ground me?" She commented after a few seconds.

"Ja, are you ready to try and stop me?" He asked, challengingly.

"Bring it on." Her head bent slightly in determination.

Kurt teleported, bringing them closer to the ground, but as soon as they reappeared, Kerri folded one wing, and they started spiraling crazily, weaving back and forth, zig zaging, aimed straight at the ground.

Kurt was so surprised and confused that he couldn't see a safe place to teleport to.

They were falling fast, getting closer and closer to the ground, Kerri opened her wing, trying to straighten, but Kurt tried to teleport them at the same time, and they appeared a few feet above the ground again, the wind was knocked out from Kerri's wings, making her start falling. She tried to catch wind again, but that just made them skid across the ground for a ways.

Kurt picked himself up from the ground and quickly tried to help Kerri up. "Are you ok, liebling?"

Kerri moaned, but got up. "You play rough. But that's ok, I play rough, too."

Kurt wondered what she was talking about when she turned around and her tail flashed toward him, wrapping around his waist and trying to toss him away, but he grabbed onto her tail, taking her with him.

It was more rough housing now than training, and Kurt teleported onto a tree branch. Kerri leaped up to the branch, and Kurt held onto the tree with his tail, turning so he stood upside down. Kerri followed his lead and wrapped her tail around the branch and her clawed toes gripped onto it as she let herself fall to stand upside down. Her hair hung down strangely, and Kurt smiled. Even like this she was beautiful.

He let go with his feet and held on with his tail. "Aber, can you do zhis?"

Kerri looked nervous, but she let go with one foot. She let go with the other one, but she started to fall.

Kurt grabbed a hold of her and they fell to the ground in a heap.

Kerri giggled, holding Kurt down and leaning on top of him. "I win! King of the mountain!"

Kurt looked up at her happy, smiling, beautiful face. She was so amazing, he wanted to remember this time forever.

He wanted to tell her that he loved her.

He needed to tell her that he loved her.

"What's wrong? You're quiet," Kerri asked as she looked down at him.

"Nozhing, but you are not zhe king of zhe mountain, I am!" Kurt rolled them over so he was over her.

"Oh yeah? I deploy a distraction technique!"

Kurt played along and looked to the side and saying, "Huh?"

But Kerri grabbed his face and pulled him down to kiss him.

The kiss deepened and it was a minute before they pulled apart. "Gute distraction," Kurt told her.

Kerri's breath was a little shaky and fast as she looked up at him and thought, 'Why can't I just tell you that I love you?' But deep down she knew why. It was the same old reason; fear of rejection. If he didn't love her back and he left at the end of the school year, it would be easier than if he rejected her now and she had to see him for the last little while.

"What are you two doing?" Scott's voice came from above them.

Kerri looked up past Kurt's head at him. "Playing king of the mountain. I was winning, then we fell out of the tree," she told him as Kurt scrambled to stand up.

"Zhat means I vin, liebling, since your tail couldn't hold you und mein can," Kurt told her, nervously looking at Scott.

They could see Scott's eyebrow raise above his sunglasses, but he didn't say anything else.

* * *

Kurt and Kerri practiced sparing to prepare him for the danger room, but they couldn't help when a few kisses slipped in there, and they didn't mind, either.

Kitty was excited and nervous that her test was the next day, and in math she tried to forget about it by talking to Kurt.

"So, have you told her yet?" She asked.

"Nein, not yet," he told her.

She sighed. "Come on, Kurt, you have to tell her sometime."

Kurt nodded. "Ja, but ve're having a lot of fun, und ve-" He stopped, blushing.

Kitty was all attention on him, now. "You what?" Kurt blushed and she pounced, "Did you kiss her brains out yet?"

Kurt blushed a little harder. "Nein," a look of exasperation came over Kitty's face until he continued, "but I'm getting zhere, I zhink..."

Kitty was so elated to hear that her friend's relationship was going well that she didn't think about her danger room final for the rest of the day.

* * *

Kitty dragged Kerri down to the lunch room to eat breakfast. Kerri laid her head on the table and curled her tail around Kurt's under the table.

"Come on, eat something, Kerri," Kitty told her.

"I'm too tired to eat. You know I have trouble sleeping at night," Kerri told her, her eyes were closed, but her tone was awake.

Piotr reached across the table, and took Kitty's hands in his.

'Poor Kitty and Piotr,' Kerri thought, seeing this through her barely open eyes. They hardly ever got to show affection in public for fear of trouble, with Kitty being a student and, well, she wasn't really sure what Piotr did, but he was at least five years older, and maybe that's all it took to be separated.

Kitty had told her that they tried to keep a lid on it, but the only teacher that gave them any real problems was Scott.

A bell rang over head and they went to their classes, Kurt walking Kerri to hers.

They stopped at the door and Kerri hugged him, pressing herself close against him. She rubbed her face against his neck saying, "Mmm, you're so soft and fuzzy."

Kurt pulled back and kissed her quickly while no one was looking. They didn't want to get into trouble either, after all. "See you at lunch, liebling," he told her before he teleported to his class.

At lunch, Kitty sat down, holding and looking at an envelope that Kurt had noticed her looking at all through math class. She turned it over and over in her hands.

"What's with the letter?" Kerri asked.

"It's from one of the colleges I applied to," she replied.

"Well, did you get in?" Kerri asked her.

"I don't know, I haven't opened it..." Kitty trailed off.

"Well, I got a letter opener if you need one," Kerri joked, elongating one nail and offering it to her.

Kitty shook her head, though. "No, I don't want to open it until after I know if I've graduated."

"Does the danger room final count for that much?" Kerri asked, surprised.

"No, but they don't tell you your scores on the tests until after your finals are complete."

Kerri understood how Kitty was feeling, after all, wasn't she doing the same thing? Afraid to tell Kurt she loved him, fearing rejection? Or worse, acceptance, then loss.

They finished lunch, and Kerri went to outside with Kurt. They didn't have a fifth period, since the danger room was being used for testing.

Kurt took her into the woods, promising to show her something fun.

Kerri blushed, but followed.

They stopped by the bottom of a tree marked with a piece of cloth tied to a low branch.

Kerri looked around, seeing nothing else out of the ordinary, and asked, "You weren't just luring me out here to take advantage of me, were you?"

Kurt laughed. "Nein, don't vorry, liebling. I vanted to show you zhis."

He laughed again when Kerri said, "Darn," under her breath jokingly.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and she looked up at him, asking, "are you sure you're not trying to take advantage of me?"

Kurt smiled and leaned close, teleporting them into the air, reappearing with their feet on a heavy gauge steel wire.

Kerri gasped a breath, her body stiffening in terror and her fingers digging into Kurt's arms.

Kurt tightened his arms around her waist. "I von't drop you, liebling." He teleported over to a thick limb on one of the trees the wire was attached to and sat her down. "I zhought you veren't afraid of heights anymore?"

"With wings, I'm not afraid with wings..." Kerri got out, though her voice was thick with emotions that were only in check because she was too afraid of falling to let them out.

Kurt helped her take off her shoes and socks. "Come try es, vizh vings, zhen."

Kerri looked up at him, her face numb. "I can't change..."

"Vhy not?" He asked, confused.

"Too tense..." She told him.

A wicked grin came across his face. "Vould zhis help?" He asked as he turned off his image inducer.

"Little bit..." She was still frozen, though.

Kurt stood up as though he wasn't on a tree branch at least twenty feet in the air. "Vhat else could I do to help you?"

"Don't know..." She said, but her cheeks turned red. Her mind was very naughty, apparently, thinking, 'Take something else off.' "Petting a cat or dog lowers blood pressure..." She said, spouting out random facts, and her cheeks grew hotter.

Kurt grinned. "You know, I'm soft und fuzzy, too..."

Kerri looked up at him with her cheeks on fire, and Kurt stepped closer to her and sat down, straddling the tree branch close enough that he could lean forward and kiss her.

He grinned again. "Let's see if zhis vill help." He leaned closer and his lips touched against hers. He smiled against her mouth and deepened the kiss when he felt her hands holding onto him.

Kerri's hand held onto the hem at the back of his shirt, but it became restless and found the edge, her fingers brushing against his softly furred skin.

She felt her cheeks regain some of the heat they'd lost. She'd be lying if she said she hadn't thought about running her hand down his chest since she'd seen the fuzzy, blue, expanse of toned muscle bare. Her breathing came faster at the memory, her heart pounded and her face wanted to turn up into a silly grin. Her hand traveled to his chest, pushing as she pulled back and took a breath to calm down; she was working herself up.

When she looked up, she saw that Kurt had a surprised and teasing smirk on his lips. "Liebling, if zhat's vhat you vanted, you could have just said somezhing," he teased, then he leaned back and pulled his shirt off.

Kerri's eyes were wide, her mind was going through sensory overload, slipping away as she stared at his chest. Something was conflicting with the beautiful blue of his skin. She blinked in confusion. It was her hand, still on his chest. She realized that it must have stayed under his shirt as she moved it to push away. Her heart pounded louder, her breath coming in embarrassed but excited gasps.

"Liebling, are you ok?" Kurt asked concerned about her hyperventilating.

"I just-" she turned away to take a break and hide her face for a second, but started sliding off the branch.

"Liebling!" Kurt cried, grabbing her and holding her against his bare chest.

"-forgot I was sitting in a tree, I forgot I was sitting in a tree..." Kerri breathlessly gasped, thinking, 'How could I forget I was sitting in a tree?!'

"Kerri, calm down, alles gute, I vill never let you fall, you are safe." Kurt stroked her hair tenderly as he held her against his chest and she clung to him.

Her breath slowed, returning to normal. "Worked too well..." She told him.

"Ja," he felt bad, terrible, but he couldn't say that it was all bad with her pressed close to his bare chest, clinging to him. "Maybe ve should try somezhing else."

"Like what?" She asked, her body tense again.

"Maybe shock?" He suggested, feeling awful about it.

Kerri looked up at him in question. "How?"

He took a breath and hesitantly asked, "Do you trust me?"

She looked into his eyes. Did she trust him?

She was just learning to trust herself again, let alone anyone else.

There weren't many people she felt she could trust.

Professor Xavier, she could tell he always seemed to be holding something back from her, hiding it, she wasn't sure about him, Logan, she could understand that he had reasons he did what he did and he didn't want to talk about them, but he never lied or covered them up, and he talked to and treated her like anyone else, not like a kid or a special case, him she could trust, and Kurt, he was Kurt. He made her feel things she hadn't felt, made her excited about existing again, he was so wonderful, kind, caring, the works. He'd never do anything to hurt her.

"Yes," she answered.

Kurt pulled her closer. "Ready?" She nodded, and he teleported to the edge of the branch.

"Wait, just in case..." She blushed at what she was about to say. "Will you, pull my shirt up?"

"Pull your shirt up?" He asked, confused and blushing.

"So my wings don't rip it apart," she told him.

Kurt blushed harder, but he put his hands at her waist, finding the hem and sliding his hands up, slowly moving them up the curve of her back, making shivers run down her spine and her breath speed up. He pulled the bottom of her shirt over her shoulders so it was like a halter top, trying not to notice that her bra was white with blue leopard spots, and stood there for a moment before saying, "here ve go," and throwing them off.

Wind rushed through Kerri's hair, battering her face.

She wanted to scream, she wanted to cry, but she was so terrified that she couldn't make a sound.

"You can do es, liebling," she heard Kurt say, encouraging her.

Her body took over, her wings bursting out and automatically moving to catch the air and glide. She was still clinging to Kurt, but she felt safer now. She held onto him and landed on the ground.

"I told you you could do it, liebling!" Kurt congratulated her.

Kerri let out a breath and her body let the wings go. "I don't think I want to go back up there today," she said as she pulled her shirt down.

Kurt teleported up to get their clothes and handed her her shoes and socks, throwing his shirt over his shoulder. Kerri finished tieing her shoes and stood, looking at Kurt and raising a brow at his shirtlessness.

"Vhat?" Kurt asked grabbing a hold of her hand. "You act like I don't notice vhat you want to do," he told her, putting her hand on his chest and holding it there.

"I'm sure that I don't know what you mean," Kerri said, a blush trying to take over her face.

"Ja, sure," Kurt said, his other hand pulling her close to kiss her.

Kerri could feel their kisses changing.

At first they had been innocent, then full of caring, now, they seemed to be growing in heat, especially this one, mostly due to his shirtlessness and her hands wanting to explore it, she was sure.

She pulled away, trying to reign in her wandering mind.

Kurt looked into her nervous eyes, trying to understand. These feelings were new to him, but she'd pushed him away twice today, did that mean she didn't want to kiss him?

But she was still holding onto him, was it that she was starting to fall in love with him, too, and was surprised by the power of the emotions?

Or maybe she could feel his emotions, and thought they were strange...

He shook his head, trying not to let it bother him. "Do you vant to get a soda?" He asked, attempting to bring them back to somewhere she was comfortable.

"Ok," she told them, and they walked back to the school.

"What should we do for Kitty when she tells us she graduated?" Kerri asked, reaching into the fridge, her hand passing Logan's beer as she grabbed two sodas and handed one to Kurt.

Kurt shrugged. "I don't know, somezhing special? Vhat about me tomorrow?" He suddenly remembered that tomorrow was Friday, and he would be doing his danger room final after lunch.

Kerri smiled at him coyly. "I don't know, we could read."

Kurt teased, "And vhat is it you vant to read? I've seen some of zhose books you read."

Kerri blushed, but shot back, "I've seen your bodice rippers, too, so I'm not the only one."

Kurt blushed. "You- saw zhose?"

Kerri nodded. "Is that where you learned to kiss?"

Kurt's cheeks blazed. "Nein."

"Oh." Kurt was worried that she was upset with him, but she only said, "She was a good teacher, I should say thanks. It was a she, right?" Kerri looked up quickly.

"Ja." Kurt laughed at the expression on her face.

Kerri was glad to hear it, she could change her body, so she could do a lot of things, like changing her cup size if a guy wanted bigger or smaller beasts, but, doing _that_ change would be a little weird to her. "Maybe we should sneak Kitty a beer..." She said, trying to get the strange thoughts out of her head.

Kurt laughed. "Kerri, she gave you a shot of vodka at zhe club, remember? She's already had a beer. Zhe beer here sucks anyvay."

Kerri raised her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"Zhe alcahol limit on beer here is vay lower zhan in Germany. It's all vater," he told her, seeing her face and explaining, "zhe purchasing age is only sixteen over zhere, aber, zhere is no real age limit. Especially in zhe circus."

"Oh," she said. "I'm surprised that all the American teenagers aren't running over there, they're obsessed with the stuff."

"Ja? Vere you?" He asked wonderingly.

"Yeah, where I went to school before, anyway. And no, I never tried it, but at the club, that vodka water tasted nasty," Kerri told him.

Kurt went to drama and Kerri was left alone. She decided that maybe she didn't have the time or stuff to make a cake, but she could go to the store and buy one.

She looked around, looking for a teacher to tell that she was leaving, anyone but Scott.

She saw Logan walking down the hall, and figured he'd do, so she started towards him. Scott came into the hall from an adjoining corridor, and Kerri sped up, calling, "hey, Logan." He paused and she caught up to him. "I know you have to let someone know when you're leaving the school, especially during class, so I just thought I'd tell you I'm leaving," she told him.

"Fine," Logan answered, turning to continue on his way, but Scott chimed in.

"And where do you think you're going?"

Kerri looked up at him. "Out, into the community, away from the school."

Scott looked over at Logan. "Are you going to let your student talk to me like this?"

"She answered your question, bub, three ways. You're just nit-pickin'. 'Sides, it's funny," he answered, not bothering to turn and look at him.

This made Scott angrier, and he turned to Kerri. "And what are you going to do? Try to break into a building like you were the library? You don't live on the streets anymore, you don't have to be a thief." It was a little harsh, and he wondered if he'd gone too far, or if he could help himself. These two people just seemed to bring out the worst in him.

Kerri was so offended she could hardly contain herself. Her large ears were swept back, she felt her elongated nails digging into the palms of her hands, her tail was bristled behind her angrily, her stance was defensive, but ready to attack, and Logan could hear a low animal growl coming from her. "For your information," she ground out from between her large, clenched, canines. "My friend is graduating today, and I wanted to get her something special to celebrate, with the six dollars I have left in my pocket. I earned that money by doing the grocery shopping, I didn't steal it, and if you don't believe me, you can ask Professor Xavier."

The tense feeling in the air was thick enough to chew as Kerri's anger and offended feelings filled the hallway.

Scott stared at the pupil glaring at him, and was glad he had sunglasses on so he didn't show his surprise. She looked like an angry animal about to rip his throat out for crossing her territory, her demeanor told the whole story.

He had a flash of John Winters, enraged and attacking, and of course what had had to come next; destruction of the threat to humanity. It was just him and Professor Xavier there, and Xavier had assured him that it was in self defense, but it still hit him hard every time he thought about it.

Kerri got a remorseful feeling she'd felt before, coming from Scott, but in her angered state, she lashed out viciously, using it to her advantage. "I've only ever stolen anything to survive, and only from those who could afford to miss it. And I've only ever killed to defend myself, after all, all life is sacred, but what about you, what is a stray cat to you? Another living being, or just another skull to crush under your boot?" She asked, digging at his nerves.

'Time to step in,' Logan thought, and turned the rest of the way around, stepping up to the angry, but controlled, teen. "Kid." He only said the one word, and she didn't take her glaring eyes off of Scott, but he saw her ear flick to him and he knew she was listening. "Go for a drive. I'll handle it."

Scott watched the picture they presented for a moment; Logan standing by his pupil, who was verbally attacking him with the same viciousness he was sure her teeth would love to show to his tender throat, calm, in control, not a word lost. It was tense for the moment, but Kerri straightened and turned, walking off down the hall, growls still echoing back to him.

It was trust that made her do that, he could tell, trust that her mentor would do what needed to be done, but whether it was to resolve things or to "fix" them was the question.

"I thought there was a code of ethics about how to treat students." It was a statement, not a question, and it hit Scott in the gut. It was true, there was, and he wasn't following it very closely.

"She was attacking me," he still claimed. "You saw her, she was going to leap at me."

"What I saw was a grown man baiting a kid, trying to make her attack him. And she never once laid a finger on you." Logan gave a disgusted huff and turned around, leaving Scott in the middle of the hallway to his thoughts.


End file.
